Mirrored Opposite
by Red Blaze 16
Summary: A space bridge accident transports Bumblebee into a world similar, yet very different, from his own.
1. Chapter 1

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, I haven't written a Transformers story since 2015. Please let me know what you think. I plan to update regularly. **_

_**TIMELINE NOTE: This story takes place early Season 2, but before "Attack of the Autobots".**_

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers

...

Mirrored Opposite

By Red Blaze 16

Chapter 1

The battle raged between the Autobots and Decepticons. Megatron had a new space bridge. Built in the desert, the bridge was being used to transport energon to Cybertron. The energon would keep the Decepticons fully fueled, while the Autobots still on their home world were struggling to keep themselves strong enough to keep the war going. Since the Autobots knew that Megatron was trying to send a new shipment to Shockwave, Optimus had ordered them to attack the newest space bridge.

Bumblebee fired on the nearest Decepticon. It was Rumble and he had already transformed his arms into pile drivers. The small purple Decepticon was attempting to make the Autobots around him fall and was succeeding. Brawn and Windcharger had fallen moments earlier.

Bumblebee saw his chance and fired on Rumble. The blast took Rumble in the shoulder and spun him around. The yellow Autobot turned when he heard a growl. Expecting to see Ravage, Bumblebee was surprised to see Soundwave behind him. The much larger Decepticon grabbed Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee!" Brawn shouted, as he got to his feet.

Soundwave threw Bumblebee and the yellow Autobot fell into the space bridge. His head smacked off of the ground. The Autobot laid on his side.

"Wow, what a ride," Bumblebee said as he stood up. Thankfully, the little mech couldn't detect any injuries.

He glanced around and saw that the door was open. Quickly, the Autobot rushed toward the door, but just as he reached them, he heard a crashing sound. The door closed. The lights around the top started to spin, faster and faster. Bumblebee had a moment to realize that he was going somewhere before the bridge transported him off of Earth.

…...

Feeling like he had been tossed around, Bumblebee shook his head and glanced around. He found himself still in the space bridge. Earth's sun shown down on him and he could see blue sky.

"Why aren't I on Cybertron?" asked the little yellow Autobot.

The door to the space bridge opened and Bumblebee stumbled out.

"Bumblebee?!"

The Autobot looked up and saw the green form of Hound. The battle was still raging between the Autobots and Decepticons. But at Hound's words, a few more heads turned to look toward him.

"You're alive?!"

"It's takes more than a space bridge to take me down," quipped the little yellow Autobot. Humor colored his words.

Cautiously, Hound moved toward the yellow Autobot. Something felt off to Bumblebee as he stared at his comrade. It wasn't until Hound reached the smaller Autobot that Bumblebee realized what was different.

"Hound? Why are your optics red?" demanded Bumblebee.

"They've always been red," replied Hound.

"Bumblebee?!" The shout drew the small Autobot's attention. Not because his name was shouted, but because who had shouted his name. Megatron stared at Bumblebee. Megatron had shouted his name. The gray and black Decepticon looked shocked to see the little yellow Autobot.

"Autobots!" Bumblebee's attention shifted as he turned his optics to the easily recognizable form of Optimus Prime. The red and blue Autobot leader glanced toward Bumblebee and the little yellow Autobot saw that Prime's optics were as red as Hound's. "Retreat!"

"Come on, Bumblebee," said Hound. The larger mech laid his hand on Bumblebee's arm. Without waiting for any response, Hound transformed into a Jeep.

"Bumblebee! Wait!"

The little yellow Autobot turned his attention away from his fellow Autobot. Megatron was making his way toward him. Wondering why Megatron was focused on him, Bumblebee quickly transformed and rushed to follow Hound.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I like reviews! It lets me know what readers think. :)**_

Chapter 2

At the Autobot base, Bumblebee rolled up and stopped at the entrance. The orange Ark was buried in the side of the volcano, where it had crashed landed on Earth millions of years ago. He transformed, but stopped when he saw that most of the Autobots were blocking his way.

"Bumblebee?" Optimus Prime said. The large mech stepped away from the other Autobots.

"What's wrong, Big Bot?" asked Bumblebee, nervous at being the center of everyone's attention.

"How are you alive?" demanded the Autobot leader. He whipped out his gun and pointed it at the smaller Autobot.

"What?" said Bumblebee. The yellow mech stared at the muzzle of Prime's gun.

"Megatron killed you," growled Optimus.

Bumblebee took a step back. Optimus was pointing a weapon at him! Bumblebee had never seen Optimus draw a weapon on a fellow Autobot. The yellow mech could see that Prime's finger was on the trigger.

Motion caught Bumblebee's optics and he saw that the Autobots had spread out around him. All escape paths were blocked. The little yellow Autobot turned his attention back to Optimus.

"O-Optimus, why are your optics red?"

Of course, what he really wanted to ask was why Prime had pulled a gun on him, but he figured that that might make things worse. He didn't want to draw attention to the weapon. He didn't know if the distraction would work, but the smaller mech knew he didn't have a chance against Prime, let alone all of the Autobots.

Suddenly, Bumblebee was spun around and a hand grabbed his jaw. A moment later, the yellow mech was staring into the red optics of Ratchet.

"His optics are blue, Prime," reported the Chief Medical Officer.

"Like a Decepticon," growled Ironhide. The Weapons Officer took a step toward the much smaller Autobot. The red Autobot raised his gun and pointed it at Bumblebee.

"I'm not a Decepticon," shouted Bumblebee, as he jerked away from Ratchet's hand. "What is wrong with you guys?"

"Optimus, clearly this is not _our_ Bumblebee, as we know he is dead," said the black and white Prowl. His red optics stared at the yellow Autobot, but gave no indication of his feelings. Bumblebee got the impression that, if Prime had decided to pull the trigger, Prowl wouldn't have done anything to stop him. "I suspect he's from a different universe."

"A different universe?" replied Optimus. His tone was curious. His red optics stared at the yellow Autobot. Prime slowly lowered his weapon.

"He looks like our Bumblebee," said Mirage quietly. The blue and white Autobot stood the furthest from Bumblebee.

"But with less weapons," added Ironhide. He made it sound like it was the worst mistake any mech could make.

"How did you get here...Bumblebee?" asked Optimus. The voice was soft. The leader waved his hand at Ironhide, who put his gun down.

"I was knocked into the space bridge by Soundwave," answered Bumblebee. "Somehow the bridge started. I thought I was going to end up on Cybertron, but then the doors open here...wherever here is." Bumblebee finished his explanation, but he heard multiple Autobots mumble, "Cybertron," with various levels of surprise.

"I saw him walk out of the bridge, Prime," replied Hound. "I slammed that punk Rumble into the control panel. The doors closed and the bridge started. The doors open and there he was." The green mech nodded his head toward Bumblebee.

"Are there Autobots and Decepticons in your world?" asked Prime. The voice was still gentle. The aggression from moments earlier was gone.

"Yes," replied Bumblebee. "And we're still fighting the war."

"Are you also on Earth?" asked Prowl. His tone gave nothing away.

"Yes. We crashed here about 4 million Earth years ago," answered the yellow Autobot.

"Interesting," said Optimus. He raised his hand and rubbed at his mouthplate. "Your universe sounds similar to our own."

"You mentioned Cybertron," said Mirage. He took a step forward. "It exists in your world?"

"Yes," replied the smallest Autobot."You mean, it doesn't exist here?"

Bumblebee glanced around at the Autobots. Slowly, the other Autobots had moved back and Bumblebee could see he wasn't surrounded, like he had been a moment before. It didn't make him feel safer though. He suspected, if he attempted to escape, one or more Autobots would stop him.

"We wouldn't be on this stinking planet if we could go home," growled Ironhide.

Bumblebee was surprised to hear Ironhide refer to Earth that way. His Ironhide seemed to like Earth. Then again, the Weapons Officer in his world had the ability to return home.

"It was destroyed in our war against the Decepticons," answered Optimus. An edge had crept into the Autobot leader's voice. "We're trying to make Earth our new...home, but the Decepticons keep interfering."

The red and blue Autobot slowly made his way toward Bumblebee. As the leader reached the small Autobot, Optimus reached out and placed a hand on Bumblebee's shoulder. He patted it a couple of times. Bumblebee heard a few Autobots snicker, like they were enjoying a good joke, but the yellow Autobot didn't understand what was so funny about Optimus touching him.

Optimus shifted his hand and placed it on Bumblebee's back. "Come inside, Bumblebee," said Optimus. His voice had returned to a gentler tone. "Tell me about your world."

The little Autobot shook his head. "I need to get back to the space bridge. I have to figure out a way to get home."

"Wheeljack and I can work on that," replied Ratchet, with a smirk. "We'll go back to the bridge now to see if there are any clues."

"Good idea, Ratchet," replied Optimus. His hand was still on Bumblebee's back. "Ratchet can figure out how to access your world and you can explain it to me while we wait."

The little Autobot could feel the pressure. Almost like the Autobot leader was attempting to force the smaller mech into the base. Bumblebee felt nervous. There was something not right about the Autobots around him and it wasn't just their optics. The littlest Autobot couldn't figure out what was making him so nervous though.

Bumblebee took a few steps forward, but the pressure on his back made him lose his balance. As he started to fall, the Autobot leader shifted his hand and grabbed Bumblebee's arm. The pressure on his arm, much like his back, was more than was needed. Optimus wasn't hurting him, but Bumblebee knew, as long as Prime kept a hand on him, the little yellow Autobot wasn't going to get away.

"Let me help you," murmured Prime.

Bumblebee entered the Autobot base, with Optimus Prime at his side and most of the Autobots following them. Unnoticed by any Autobot, a small dark shape took to the air and flew away.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bumblebee spoke with Optimus for hours in the large lounge area that the Autobots had. It was similar to what Bumblebee had in his own Ark, but no other Autobots shared the space with them. When they had first started to talk, Optimus had sat across from him. The lounge area provided a few "U" shaped sitting areas. Bumblebee and Optimus sat in the largest area. As they had continued to speak, Prime had moved closer to the smaller Autobot, until the Autobot leader was sitting next to him.

As they talked, different Autobots would walk into the room. Optimus would shift his attention to the Autobot and, after a moment, the Autobot would leave. Bumblebee wondered why they came in and why they didn't stay. In his world, Optimus would speak with Autobots in the lounge, but others were still free to use the room. If the conversation was meant to be secret, then it wasn't held in the lounge.

As he heard the clank of footsteps, Bumblebee shifted his attention to the door. This time it was Ratchet.

"We haven't been able to get near the space bridge," reported Ratchet.

"Why?" demanded Optimus. The Autobot leader's voice growled. Bumblebee still found it a little disturbing that this Prime seemed more aggressive than the one Bumblebee was used to.

"Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp are still there," replied Ratchet.

"And do those pathetic jets scare you that much?" sneered Optimus. "Maybe it's time for a new Chief Medical Officer?"

Ratchet took a step forward. "I'm not scared of any Decepticon," he snapped.

"Then stop making excuses," replied Prime.

Bumblebee watched the two of them speak. In all his years of service, he had never heard his Optimus speak to any Autobot in that tone of voice. It sounded more like conversations he had heard between the Decepticons whenever he was a prisoner.

"Optimus?" said Bumblebee carefully.

"Yes, Bumblebee," replied Prime. His attention shifted from the Medical Officer to the small Autobot next to him. Just as his attention shifted, so did his tone. The harsh tone was gone and the gentle tone returned.

"I appreciate what you're doing, but there's no point in anyone getting hurt," said Bumblebee cautiously. "I mean, Ratchet can wait until the Decepticons are gone."

"Did you hear that, Ratchet?" said Optimus softly.

"I said I will get the information," snapped Ratchet, before he quickly departed.

Bumblebee watched the exiting Autobot, but his attention quickly shifted back to Optimus when the Autobot leader wrapped his hand around Bumblebee's right arm and squeezed.

"Optimus! You're hurting me," said Bumblebee.

The Autobot leader leaned in. "Do not ever question my orders."

"I-I wasn't," replied Bumblebee. The yellow mech was scared. He had faced worst than this from Decepticons, but never from Prime.

With a quick move, Optimus threw Bumblebee from the seating area. The yellow Autobot crashed to the floor. Optimus stood up and stared down at Bumblebee before he exited the room.

Bumblebee slowly got to his feet. He checked his arm. It was dented. His blue optics stared at the door that Optimus had just exited through. Bumblebee glanced around the space. No other Autobots were present. The little Autobot decided he needed a little space to move and walked toward the entrance of the base.

"Hold!"

At the shouted order, Bumblebee stumbled to a stop. From the shadows, the red form of Sideswipe stepped out and stopped in front of Bumblebee. A moment later, from a different shadow, the yellow form of Sunstreaker stepped out to join his twin.

"Where are you going...Bumblebee?" demanded Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker moved away from his twin and walked behind Bumblebee.

"To get some air," replied the littlest Autobot.

"We don't breath," replied Sunstreaker from behind. The taller Autobot leaned down and whispered those words to the back of Bumblebee's head.

Bumblebee was used to the twins and their antics. They enjoyed a good prank...and even a bad one. So, the little Autobot was used to them giving him a hard time. But, everything about this world put Bumblebee on edge and he didn't like having any mech at his back.

"Sunstreaker! Sideswipe!"

Bumblebee glanced over to see Ironhide. The old mech was making his way toward them.

"What the frag are you doing?" demanded the older Autobot.

"Just trying to find out why little Bumblebee was trying to sneak out of the base," replied Sideswipe.

"I was not sneaking," snapped Bumblebee.

The little mech stared at Sideswipe, but the Autobot didn't acknowledge him. Being ignored by one of the twins wasn't a new tactic, as the twins in his world did the same thing. One time, they had spent a whole Earth day pretending that they heard a buzzing sound anytime he spoke. They thought it was funny, until Bumblebee lost his temper and kicked Sideswipe. Well, Sunstreaker had still thought it was funny. Sideswipe had been more worried that Bumblebee had damaged his paint job.

"Did Prime say he had to stay in the base?" demanded Ironhide.

The older mech seemed to ignore Bumblebee's comment too. He didn't even shift his attention away from the twins. Unlike the twins, Ironhide never ignored him. Even if he couldn't comment, he would at least look at him. It was just another reminder that Bumblebee wasn't in his world.

"No," snapped Sunstreaker.

"Then let him go out," replied Ironhide. "What's he going to do? Run off?"

With a laugh, Sideswipe stepped out of Bumblebee's way. He walked until he couldn't hear the laughter any more. The sun had set and the sky was black. There wasn't even a moon to light the desert, though the stars seemed bright enough. Bumblebee decided to walk around the volcano and consider his situation.

The little Autobot couldn't believe that Prime had hurt him. Then again, he found everything he had learned since entering this new world difficult. The Autobots seemed darker, more cruel than his universe. And, if the Autobots were this bad, how much worse were the Decepticons? The thought barely crossed his circuits, when an arm wrapped around him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Stop!"

"Cease," came the response.

The Autobot struggled. He recognized that voice. The monotone of Soundwave was distinctive. The Decepticon's other hand covered his mouth and before Bumblebee could draw further attention to his situation, he and the Decepticon were in the air and flying away from the Autobot base.


	4. Chapter 4

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Reviews please. I like them. :)_**

Chapter 4

Soundwave and Bumblebee flew over the water. The Autobot wasn't surprised when he saw the docking tower rise out of the waters. It opened and the two mechs flew in. Soundwave landed and allowed Bumblebee's feet to touch the ground. The Decepticon kept a hand on the smaller mech. The door to the tower closed and Bumblebee waited as they descended into the underwater base. A moment later, the door opened again and Soundwave escorted Bumblebee out.

"Did you find him?"

Waiting at the door was Thundercracker. The blue Decepticon looked down and saw Bumblebee. The Autobot watched as relief crossed the Decepticon's face. It wasn't an emotion the yellow Autobot had ever seen before on Thundercracker's face.

"Where is Megatron?" asked Soundwave.

"Main communication room," replied the other Decepticon.

Together, the three mechs made their way through the base. Soundwave never took his hand off of Bumblebee, but the mini noticed that the Decepticon was being careful where he placed his hand. In fact, the Decepticon wasn't even holding the arm that Optimus had damaged.

The hallway opened up and Bumblebee was led into a much larger room. A large screen took up almost one whole side of the room. Bumblebee assumed it was for communication. But, what was more apparent than what was in the room, was who was in the room. The room was filled with Decepticons. The Autobot looked around and noted the different Decepticons. Megatron was standing near the communication screen. Starscream stood to his right. Next to Starscream was Skywarp.

Most of Soundwave's cassettes were near the doorway. Rumble and Frenzy sat on the ground, with Ravage lying down between them. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were perched above them. Not far from the cassettes, Bumblebee recognized the Constructicons. Like the Autobots of this world, the Decepticons resembled their counterparts from Bumblebee's world, except for the optics. The Decepticons had blue optics.

As soon as Bumblebee entered the room, everyone became aware of him. Some reacted like Thundercracker and seemed relived to see the yellow mech. Some didn't show any reaction. Others looked worried.

"Bumblebee," said Megatron. He was one of the Decepticon's who looked relived. "I'm glad Soundwave was able to get you."

"I've got nothing to say," replied Bumblebee. He met the Decepticon's gaze. "No matter what you do to me."

"Do to you?" demanded Frenzy. "Who do you think we are? Autobots?"

"Frenzy," said Rumble. It sounded like a reprimand, though it was spoken softly.

"What?" demanded the mini-cassette. "He's acting like we're going to...torture him or something!"

"Enough," said Megatron. It wasn't a shout or said with anger. It was said calmly. It was the same tone of voice Optimus would have used in Bumblebee's world when he heard two Autobots arguing.

"Why did you kidnap me?" demanded Bumblebee.

"You mean rescued you?" snapped Frenzy. "You should consider yourself lucky that Megatron ordered Soundwave to get you out of there!"

Rumble reached out a hand and touched Frenzy. The Decepticon seemed to jump, before he noticed who had touched him. The mini-cassette looked at his brother before he looked away. Rumble kept his hand on Frenzy's arm.

"Laserbeak," said Megatron.

The Decepticon flew across the room, transformed into a cassette, and slipped into the communication center. Footage showed on the screen of Bumblebee surrounded by the Autobots as they questioned him. While the event had been surreal when it had happened, the yellow mech now saw how different the Autobots were from his own comrades.

The circle of Autobots looked threatening. He could see how some of the mechs were making gestures behind his back, including pointing guns at him. At the time, Bumblebee had only been aware of Prime and Ironhide pointing weapons at him. Now the yellow mech could see that many more had been pointed at him. No one said anything as the room listened to Optimus question Bumblebee.

"We know that you're not from our world," said Megatron, as the video ended. Laserbeak slipped out, transformed, and landed on Megatron's shoulder. The Decepticon reached up and patted the mini-cassette. "Based on what we've seen and heard, we think that there are important differences between our worlds. I'm sure you've noticed also."

Bumblebee glanced around, but didn't comment. While the Decepticons were acting different than from what the yellow mini was used to, that didn't mean Bumblebee was going to betray his comrades. It would take a lot more than gentle questions to make the little mech talk to a Decepticon.

"Bumblebee," said Megatron, when he realized that the Autobot wasn't going to answer. "We want to help you."

Bumblebee felt off-balanced with this kinder version of Megatron. Weeks ago, Bumblebee's human friend, Spike, had shown him an old television show called "The Twilight Zone". The little yellow mech felt like he was staring in one of those episodes.

"Help me?" replied Bumblebee. His voice was filled with disbelief. "Decepticons don't help anyone!"

"That's rich coming from an Autobot," sneered Scrapper. The green Constructicon stood in the middle of his fellow combiners.

"You think I am going to fall for this...fake concern?" asked Bumblebee. The yellow mech looked at Scrapper before he shifted his attention back to Megatron. "Never trust a Decepticon."

"Decepticons aren't the bad guys!"

Bumblebee turned sharply at the sound of that voice. It was a voice that the yellow mech shouldn't have heard surrounded by Decepticons.

"Spike?"

The human came out from between the legs of the Constructicons. He made his way toward Rumble and Frenzy, though it was obvious to anyone in that room that the cassettes were making sure to put themselves between the human and Bumblebee.

"Spike? What are you doing here?" asked Bumblebee. The yellow mech attempted to take a step toward the human, but Soundwave stopped him. The larger mech placed both hands on Bumblebee's shoulder. "Did they capture you too?"

"They didn't capture me." Spike wore a tan shirt and jeans. Bumblebee watched as Rumble carefully put an arm around the human's shoulders and drew him down to sit on the ground. "The Decepticons protect me."

"I don't understand," replied Bumblebee.

"You seem surprised to see Spike with us," said Megatron. "Why?"

"Why?" demanded the little yellow Autobot. He took a step toward Megatron and Soundwave allowed his hands to slip from Bumblebee. "Every time one of you Decepti-creeps go near him, you try to hurt him! Only a few Earth weeks ago, you," Bumblebee pointed a finger at Megatron, "put Spike in the hospital."

"Megatron would never do that!" replied Spike angrily.

"I was there, Spike," replied Bumblebee. He turned to face the human. Soundwave moved a step over, partially blocking the Autobot's access to Spike. "You were riding in me when it happened. He transformed and fired on me. Ratchet had to rush you to the hospital. You almost died!"

"I am beginning to understand," murmured Megatron.

"Then someone explain it to me," said Bumblebee, "because I feel like I having a glitch!" Bumblebee couldn't figure out why Spike was sitting so calmly with the Decepticons. Not to mention, the Decepticons seemed protective of the human. It almost felt like they thought Bumblebee was the threat to Spike, which was ridiculous.

"You are an Autobot," said Megatron. "In your world, the Autobots are the...good guys."

"What?" demanded Skywarp. The purple and black Decepticon's disbelief was shared by many in the room.

"Of course, we're the good guys," replied Bumblebee. The yellow mech turned his attention from Spike and focused on Megatron. "What else would we be?"

Megatron decided not to answer Bumblebee's question. "And the Decepticons are the...villains?"

"No way," said Rumble, shaking his head.

"Yes," replied Bumblebee. The yellow mech nodded his head. "You destroy everything you touch!"

"Then I can understand your confusion, Bumblebee," replied Megatron. "As our world is opposite of yours."

"Opposite?" asked Bumblebee. The mech took a step back. _But, if this world is opposite, that means the Autobots are...the bad guys?_ thought the little mech.

"Yes," replied Megatron.

The much larger mech took a step toward Bumblebee. Out of instinct, Bumblebee took a step back. Megatron stopped and frowned. If Bumblebee didn't know better, he would have said that the larger mech was saddened by Bumblebee's reaction.

"The Autobots destroyed Cybertron," explained the Decepticon leader. "Their lust for power drained our planet of all its resources. It's an empty husk floating in space." The final words were spoken with a sadness that seemed to be echoed on the faces of the Decepticons in the room. "When we found out that the Autobots planned to leave Cybertron to find a new one to destroy, we followed them. It's how we ended up on Earth."

"The Autobots want to destroy Earth," said Spike. "Drain it dry and kill as many humans as they can, like they killed my father and..."

"Sparkplug is dead?" interrupted Bumblebee. The sadness could be heard in his voice. A thought crossed his circuits. "Where's Chip? Is he safe?"

Tears rolled down the human's face, but he didn't answer. A moment went by before Rumble stood up. He helped Spike to stand up and, together, they walked out of the room.

"Prime killed Spike's father," said Megatron quietly, after the human had left the room. "It was on the oil platform where Spike and Sparkplug worked. Chip was killed only a few days ago."

"I couldn't get to him," said Thundercracker. The grief seemed real. When the three mechs had entered the room, the blue jet had gone to stand by the other jets. "Ironhide stopped me and Wheeljack...he just...he just stepped on Chip. Crushed him."

Horror filled Bumblebee. Autobots had killed humans? Not just any humans, but Sparkplug and Chip? "No, no, no," Bumblebee repeatedly softly. "You're lying! Why are you saying that?"

"Bumblebee." Megatron spoke the name softly. The little yellow mech pulled himself back from his grief. "This must be difficult for you."

"We're working on a way to get you home," said Starscream. The second-in-command of the Decepticons held a datapad in his hand and continued to type.

"Is that why you were at the space bridge after the battle?" asked Bumblebee.

"How do you know that?" demanded Starscream. The trine leader stopped typing and stared at Bumblebee.

"I was with Optimus when Ratchet reported that he couldn't get near the space bridge. Optimus ordered Ratchet to figure out how to get me home."

"Prime is never going to allow you to leave," said Skywarp. The words seemed ominous. The yellow mech saw other Decepticons nod at those words.

"Skywarp!" snapped Megatron. It was the first time the Decepticon leader had sounded more like the one Bumblebee was used to.

The Autobot glanced between Megatron and Skywarp. He frowned. "Why?"

Megatron kept his optics focused on the purple and black jet a moment longer before he finally turned his attention to Bumblebee.

"Why?" repeated Bumblebee.

Megatron rubbed at his face before he looked around the room. "Decepticons, leave. I will have a...private word with Bumblebee."

The Decepticons cleared out. Soundwave was the last one. He hesitated near the door. Megatron noticed. "It's fine, Soundwave."

The Communications Officer nodded his head and left the room. Megatron walked away from Bumblebee, leaving his back vulnerable to the Autobot. "What did Prime tell you about the Bumblebee of this world?"

Before Bumblebee could answer, the communication system light up. Megatron walked over to it and pressed a button. The screen filled with Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader glared at Megatron.

"How dare you take what belongs to me?" shouted Prime.

"If you mean Bumblebee, he doesn't belong to you," replied Megatron. The Decepticon leader's voice was firm.

"He's mine," growled Optimus.

Bumblebee took a step back. The venom in the Autobot's voice scared the little mech. Bumblebee's movement drew Prime's attention.

"I will get you back," said the Autobot leader.

"No," replied Megatron. The Decepticon shifted his body, so that Prime couldn't easily see Bumblebee. "He is going home. His home."

"He isn't going anywhere," replied Prime. He looked at Megatron, but his optics quickly shifted to Bumblebee. The yellow mech was still partially hidden by the Decepticon leader.

"He doesn't belong in our world, Prime," replied Megatron.

"I won't give him up," said the Autobot leader. The growl was back in his voice. "I will have my Bumblebee back."

"He's not yours. You know better than anyone that Bumblebee is dead," said Megatron, "since you killed him."


	5. Chapter 5

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please review! Thanks!**_

Chapter 5

What? Optimus Prime had killed the Bumblebee of this world? Megatron's statement echoed through Bumblebee's circuits. _But Optimus said Megatron killed Bumblebee_, thought the little yellow mech.

"It's your fault," said Prime. The Autobot leader was furious. "You turned him against me!"

"You did that yourself," replied Megatron. His voice was firm and there was no hint of what the Decepticon leader was feeling.

"He will replace my Bumblebee," growled Prime. He pointed a finger and the little yellow Autobot knew it was meant for him. Optimus shifted his attention to Bumblebee. "I will get you back. And I will punish you, my naughty little Bee."

The communication ended. Megatron said nothing, but pressed a button to clear the screen.

"What did he mean?" asked Bumblebee.

"Oh, Bee," replied Megatron sadly.

Bumblebee's optics grew large. While he was used to most Autobots calling him that, he had never heard a Decepticon refer to him by his nickname. Then again, Bumblebee would lay odds that most Decepticons didn't even know his name.

Megatron turned away from the screen and leaned against the communication console. The Decepticon leader looked at Bumblebee. "I will do everything I can do to get you back to your world."

"What did Optimus mean?" asked Bumblebee. "What happened between...him and the Bumblebee of this world?"

"What did he tell you? About the Bumblebee of this world?"

"He said you killed him," replied Bumblebee.

Megatron flinched. "And what did he say about his relationship with Bumblebee?"

The yellow mech stared at the Decepticon leader. "Nothing. Why?"

"Bumblebee was Prime's...lover."

"What?" demanded Bumblebee. The Autobot was shocked.

Similar in some ways to human sex, Bumblebee was aware that some Autobots would interface together. Whether Decepticon or Autobot, mech or fem, all bots were built with a cord and socket. When two Autobots wanted to interface, they would each plug their own cord into the other's socket. Unlike human sex, it wouldn't result with a new bot. Transformers, whether Autobot or Decepticon, were built, not created between two bots.

From what Bumblebee had heard, it was an pleasurable experience. The yellow mech had never interfaced with another Autobot. Prior to leaving Cybertron, Bumblebee had been too busy trying to survive. Between battles and struggling to find energon, it had never seemed like the right moment.

After the Autobots had crashed landed on Earth, Bumblebee wasn't sure how he would approach a fellow Autobot about interfacing. Most Autobots treated it casually, as it was an enjoyable and relaxing activity, but the longer Bumblebee put it off, the more shy he became about talking with a fellow Autobot about it.

"Optimus and Bumblebee...interfaced?" squeaked the little yellow mech.

"Yes," replied Megaton. The topic seemed to bother the Decepticon leader, but Bumblebee wasn't sure why. "In the beginning, it was an enjoyable relationship, until Prime turned it abusive."

"How?" asked Bumblebee.

"One-sided interfacing," replied Megatron. For those three words, the Decepticon leader's voice was empty of emotion.

Bumblebee gasped. When two Autobots interfaced, each was plugged into the other and a circuit was created. In a one-sided or single interface, only one was plugged in. It was an enjoyable experience for the one plugged in, but horribly painful for the one who wasn't.

"Prime would find reasons to...hurt Bumblebee," said Megatron. His voice wasn't empty any longer. The Decepticon seemed grieved to know that the Bumblebee of this world had been hurt regularly by his leader.

"How do you know all this?" demanded the little yellow mech. While Autobots did not treat interfacing like a secret, it wasn't something one would share with their enemy either. Especially not when one was being hurt through a one-sided interface.

"Bumblebee told me. He was going to change sides," said Megatron. The larger mech stared at Bumblebee. "He was going to become a Decepticon."

"Is that why Prime killed him?" asked Bumblebee. Even though Prime had told Bumblebee that Megatron had killed the other Bumblebee, the yellow mech remembered Megatron's accusation. He had said Optimus had killed Bumblebee and the Autobot leader hadn't denied it.

Megatron nodded his head. "And more. Prime is right. It's as much my fault Bumblebee is dead as Prime's."

"What?" asked Bumblebee. The yellow mech took a step back.

"Bumblebee was my lover too."

"You and Bumblebee?" squeaked the yellow mech. Bumblebee was more shocked that his other self had interfaced with the Decepticon leader than Optimus.

"Yes," replied Megatron. He smiled. It wasn't the cruel smile that Bumblebee was used to seeing on the Decepticon leader's face. It was sad smile. "Bumblebee was not a front line fighter. He was used for espionage. He would spy on us. I don't think Bumblebee was aware of everything the Autobots did."

Megatron took a step toward Bumblebee. The little yellow mech instinctively took a step back. The smile disappeared. "I keep forgetting you're not him."

"I'm sorry," replied Bumblebee.

"It almost hurts more because I know that you mean it," replied Megatron. He turned away from the Autobot and faced the blank communication screen. "I noticed a change when we came to Earth. When Prime killed Sparkplug, Bumblebee had attempted to stop his leader. Prime was furious and attacked Bumblebee."

"Do not ever question my orders," murmured the Autobot. The little mech remembered the words Prime had spoken to him.

Megatron turned back. "Yes." The larger mech motioned a hand toward Bumblebee. "Prime damaged your arm, didn't he?"

Bumblebee raised a hand and it hovered over the dented right arm. "Yes."

"I'm sorry, Bumblebee," replied Megatron. "I was so shocked at seeing you on the battlefield...seeing you alive. If I had reacted faster, you wouldn't have left with the Autobots."

"I would have fought you," replied Bumblebee. He dropped his hand. "Or any other Decepticon who grabbed me."

Megatron nodded his head. He knew that the younger mech's words were true, but it didn't sit well in his spark to know that the mini had barely been in their world and Prime had already damaged him. "Soundwave can repair it, if you're willing to let him."

"I'll think about it," replied Bumblebee. For a moment, neither mech said anything. "What happened after..."

"The next time Bumblebee spied on us, I let him know that I knew he was there," replied Megatron. The sad smile returned. "He ran away. But he came back the next Earth day. Each time he showed up, I let him know that I knew he was there. Over time, we spoke. Eventually, we..."

The Decepticon didn't finish his sentence, but Bumblebee could guess. Eventually, they interfaced.

"When did Optimus find out?" asked Bumblebee. "About you and...Bumblebee?"

"Right before he killed Bumblebee," replied Megatron. The grief echoed in his words. "Prime was furious. He tortured Bumblebee. He interfaced with Bumblebee while holding...while holding Bumblebee's spark."

Horror washed through Bumblebee. While a one-way interface was bad enough, to hold another mech's spark was taboo. Bumblebee had never even heard of a Decepticon doing it. It was the absolute worst thing one mech could do to another.

"As soon as Bumblebee could get away, he contacted me. I went to meet him, but Prime found out," said Megatron. "Prime killed him. Shot Bumblebee in the back. I...I couldn't save him."

"I'm...I'm sorry for your loss," said Bumblebee. He knew that the words weren't enough.

If Megatron had been an Autobot, Bumblebee would have gone up to the mech and offered physical comfort. While the little mech knew that this Megatron wasn't the Megatron of his world, he just couldn't bring himself to willing walk up to the Decepticon leader.

Megatron nodded. The larger mech stared at Bumblebee. "I won't fail you. I will get you home."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

In the end, Bumblebee had allowed Soundwave to look at the damage to his arm. The Communications Officer confirmed that it wasn't anything worse than dented metal and started to repair it. The Decepticon was almost done when Spike and Rumble entered the room.

"Hi, Spike," said Bumblebee. The Autobot was still uncomfortable talking with the Decepticons, though he did nod his head at Rumble.

"Hi," replied the human. His tone was cautious. "Earlier, you said...you seemed surprised that my...dad was..." He drifted off, not able to finish the sentence.

"Sparkplug and Chip are alive in my world," replied Bumblebee.

The human nodded his head in response. He took a deep breath and then another. Rumble stepped up and placed a gentle hand on the human's back.

"Injury repaired," said Soundwave, as he moved away from the table that Bumblebee had been seated on.

"You also mentioned that...I...I mean, the other me...would ride in you," said Spike. The mini-cassette stayed near the human, though he dropped his hand from Spike's back.

"We ride together often," said Bumblebee. He hopped down from the examination table.

"I can't picture riding in an Autobot," replied the human. He glanced at Rumble.

Bumblebee stared at Spike and he noted that this version seemed paler than the Spike of his world. The Autobot was aware that some humans grew darker when they spent too much time in the sun. Based on how pale Spike was, Bumblebee assumed that this human was rarely in the sun.

"Spike," said Bumblebee, "why are you so...pale?"

Startled, the human glanced at Rumble, before looking at the Autobot. "Am I darker skinned in your world?"

"No," replied Bumblebee. "But you are usually...what is the word?...tanned."

"Spike doesn't leave the base," replied Rumble. "Ever."

"What?" asked Bumblebee. "Why?"

"Unsafe for designation Spike to leave Decepticon base," said Soundwave.

The Autobot glanced at the human. He could see that Spike didn't want to explain, but Bumblebee didn't understand why he couldn't leave. The Spike of his world had a life outside of being with the Autobots. He didn't spend all of his time at the base.

"After Sparkplug died, Spike tried to return to his life," answered Rumble, when he could see that Spike wasn't going to answer the question. Anger crept into the Decepticon's voice. "Those twisted twins...Sideswipe and Sunstreaker...they hunted down the humans who survived the attack on the oil platform."

"Rumble and Frenzy saved me," said Spike quietly.

"I wish we had saved more," answered Rumble.

The human smiled sadly at the mini-cassette. He reached over and patted Rumble on the arm. "I know."

A pause followed Spike's response. It was quiet enough that everyone in the room could hear the sound of footsteps heading toward the room. They all glanced over as the door slid open and Megatron stepped into the room.

"Repair is complete," said Soundwave, reporting to his commanding officer.

"Thank you, Soundwave," replied Megatron. The Decepticon leader looked down at Bumblebee. "Starscream was able to figure out how to send you back."

"Really?" asked Bumblebee. Excitement bubbled through his circuits. "I can go home?"

Megatron nodded. "We will need to be careful. The Autobots cannot know that we've figured it out."

"Do you think they'll try to stop you, Megatron?" asked Spike. The human was looking up at the leader.

"I believe so, Spike," replied Megatron. "I don't know if you remember the original Bumblebee, but Prime is very..."

"Twisted?" offered Rumble.

"Rumble," reprimanded Soundwave.

"I'm not wrong, Soundwave," replied the mini-cassette. There was something in Rumble's voice.

"It's alright, Soundwave," replied Megatron. He raised a hand, not to strike, but as a gesture to calm down the situation. "Rumble isn't wrong."

"All I've got to say is, keep him away from me," said Rumble. Soundwave stepped up to the mini-cassette and placed a hand on Rumble's head. He patted him once, almost in comfort, before he dropped his hand.

Silence descended on the room once more. Megatron glanced at Soundwave, then he looked down at the mini Decepticon and the human. "Rumble, could you take Spike to get something to eat? Laserbeak just brought in a fresh supply of human food. "

"Sure, boss," replied the mini-cassette.

Together Rumble and Spike walked out of the room. Once the door shut, Megatron looked at Soundwave again. "I think it would be best if we keep the cassettes close to home for the next few Earth weeks."

"Agreed," replied Soundwave.

"Why?" asked Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, while you were at the Autobot base, how many minis did you see?" asked Megatron.

The Autobot stopped. Quickly, he thought about his time at the Autobot base. As he remembered all of the Autobots he had encountered, the little yellow mech realized that he hadn't seen some. No Gears. No Windcharger. No Cliffjumper. No Brawn. No Huffer. Bumblebee realized he hadn't seen any of the smaller Autobots.

"You didn't see any, did you?" asked Megatron, when the mini didn't answer. "And there is a reason."

"What happened?" asked Bumblebee.

"Optimus Prime," answered Soundwave. For the first time, there was a hint of emotion and it was anger.

The Decepticon leader reached out and placed a gentle hand on Soundwave. The Communications Officer nodded his head and stepped away from the Decepticon leader. He exited the room.

"It doesn't matter if they are Decepticon or Autobot, Prime enjoys torturing the minis," said Megatron, after the door shut. "That's why there aren't anymore mini Autobots. After Bumblebee died, Prime started to hurt any mini he could find."

Bumblebee remembered how the Autobots had laughed when Prime had touched him. Now the yellow mech understood. They knew what fate Optimus had planned for him. It just reinforced that Bumblebee needed to return to his world.

"You're worried that, when I get back to my world, Optimus will go after the cassettes?" asked the yellow mech.

"Not long after Prime killed Bumblebee, he captured Frenzy," answered Megatron. "We were able to rescue him, but there was extensive damage." The Decepticon leader looked away, toward the door that Soundwave had left through. "We're careful about when and how often we let the cassettes out."

"I'm sorry that my presence is going to cause problems for the cassettes," said Bumblebee.

Megatron turned his attention back to the mini yellow Autobot. He put out his hand to touch Bumblebee's shoulder. The yellow mech held himself still. After a brief hesitation, the Decepticon leader touched him. He patted the shoulder once then dropped his hand.

"Thank you," said Megatron softly. The Autobot wasn't sure whether it was for the sentiment that Bumblebee had expressed or because the yellow mech had allowed the much bigger mech to touch him.


	7. Chapter 7

_**WARNING: This chapter is the reason (or one of the reasons) for the M rating. **_

Chapter 7

Bumblebee gathered with the Decepticons. They were going to leave the base and go to the space bridge. It was time for Bumblebee to go home. Soundwave would stay behind with his cassettes to guard the base. The Constructicons had left the base not long after Bumblebee had arrived. The Decepticon leader told Bumblebee that they were repairing a city that had been heavily damaged recently in a battle with the Autobots.

Megatron, Bumblebee, and the three jets took off for the bridge. Since Bumblebee couldn't fly, he had allowed Megatron to hold him. It had been awkward when they had first left the Decepticon base, but slowly Bumblebee had relaxed. The Decepticon leader held him tightly enough so the smaller mech wouldn't fall, but not too tight as to make the situation more uncomfortable.

When they arrived, it was quiet. Starscream quickly made his way to the control panel. He entered information. Megatron stood with Bumblebee, while Skywarp and Thundercracker kept watch. Waiting was making the yellow mech nervous.

"Megatron," called Starscream, as he turned from the control panel. "It's ready."

The Decepticon leader looked down at Bumblebee. "Bumblebee..."

But before he could finish what he was going to say, shots were fired. Between one moment and the next, the area was surrounded by Autobots.

"Pull back!" shouted Megatron. The Decepticon leader could see that they were clearly out numbered.

Bumblebee backed up. He didn't have a gun. While he had had a weapon when he first came into this world, the Autobots had locked it up when he arrived at their base. He hadn't been able to get it back. Using a nearby rock formation, the yellow mech used the land to provide himself cover.

Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp were returning fire. Between them and Bumblebee was Megatron. The Decepticon leader was slowly backing up. They needed to escape and the little mech couldn't fly.

Bumblebee attempted to slip away from the rocks that he was hiding behind, but a new round of shots were fired and Bumblebee had to duck. Megatron slowly made his way to Bumblebee. Megatron was almost to Bumblebee when the yellow mech felt a larger arm wrap around him.

"Stop!"

Bumblebee recognized the voice of Mirage. The yellow mech was pulled tight against the Autobot. He hadn't seen Mirage approach. Bumblebee felt foolish. His Mirage had the ability to be invisible. He should have realized that the Mirage of this world could have the same ability.

Bumblebee felt the muzzle of Mirage's weapon press against his head. On one side of the Decepticons was Bumblebee and Mirage. On the other side were the rest of the Autobots.

"You failed, Megatron," said Prime. The Autobot leader gloated. While the Autobots weren't firing their weapons any more, they were still raised.

"He doesn't belong here, Prime," said Megatron, as he attempted to reason with the other mech.

"But he's going to stay," replied Optimus. "I'll give you a choice, Megatron. I will allow you Decepticons to leave, but he stays here. Alive. With us." Prime waved his weapon toward Bumblebee and Mirage. "Or you can fight on and Mirage will kill Bumblebee."

Megatron shifted his attention from Prime to Bumblebee. It went against everything in his spark to abandon the yellow mech. But he couldn't stand to see Bumblebee killed. Megatron knew that Prime would order his Autobot to kill Bumblebee. But if the Autobots took Bumblebee prisoner, then Megatron could rescue him. Dead was dead. Alive, the little mech had a chance to return home.

"Alright, Prime," conceded Megatron. "You...win."

Without another word, the four Decepticons lifted into the air. Megatron kept his optics on Bumblebee. "I will come back for you." The words were spoken so softly, the Decepticon leader wasn't sure whether Bumblebee heard him.

After the Decepticons couldn't be seen any more, Prime approached Bumblebee. Mirage still had his weapon pressed against the smaller mech.

"You've been a bad Bee," said Prime. The voice sounded cruel. "I told Megatron I will keep you alive and I meant it. But it's not going to save you from being punished."

Optimus transformed and opened the trailer door. Mirage shoved the smaller mech inside and the trailer closed.

…...

When they arrived at the Autobot base, Ironhide was at the trailer entrance when it opened. His weapon was pointed at Bumblebee.

"Come out, Bumblebee," said Ironhide.

Carefully, the yellow mech walked out of the trailer. As soon as he was cleared, Prime transformed and reached for Bumblebee. He wrapped his much larger hand around Bumblebee's arm. Optimus dragged Bumblebee into the Ark. The yellow mech could hear the laughter from the other Autobots.

Bumblebee didn't know what Prime was planning, but that didn't mean he had to cooperate. The smaller mech dragged his feet and pulled back against the much larger mech, though it didn't seem to do anything but annoy Prime.

Bumblebee was so focused on fighting Optimus that he wasn't paying attention to where they were going. When he finally noticed, the yellow mech wondered why they were heading to Ratchet's medical area. The door opened and Prime dragged him inside.

The area was filled with medical berths. There were repair tools hanging and spare parts were stored on shelves. They walked through the space and stopped near a wall. Against the wall were four manacles. Two were higher, while two were near the floor. They distance between two sets was enough to hold a mini mech. As Bumblebee realized Prime's plan, he fought more. The smaller mech struggled against the hold Prime had on his arm.

"No!" Bumblebee shouted. He did not want to be restrained.

Prime didn't say anything. He tightened his hold then threw Bumblebee into the wall. The yellow mech crashed into the wall hard and crumpled to the floor. Dazed, Bumblebee slowly stood up. Prime reached out, grabbed one hand, and pushed it into the first manacle. It locked around Bumblebee's arm. The yellow mech kicked out, but Prime ignored him as he grabbed Bumblebee's other arm and thrust it into the other manacle. Prime stepped back. Bumblebee's feet were still free, but his arms were held above his head.

"Did you interface with Megatron?" demanded Prime. The Autobot leader was furious.

"What?"said Bumblebee. The mech was surprised that Optimus would ask. Then again, given the history between the Megatron and Bumblebee of this world, it wouldn't have been an unusual question either, if Prime had been speaking with the other Bumblebee. "No!"

Prime didn't respond. He walked over to a small control pad and pressed a button. The manacles holding Bumblebee's arms slowly started to rise. All too soon, Bumblebee's feet were dangling above the floor. Prime step forward. Bumblebee attempted to kick him again, but Optimus just ignored him. As the lower set had risen with the higher set, the larger mech locked the lower manacles around Bumblebee's legs. The yellow mini was pinned to the wall.

"I can't believe you," said Prime. "You always lie to me."

"I've never lied to you," replied Bumblebee. The little mech realized that his only chance was to reason with Optimus. "I've been honest with you the whole time I've been here. I just want to go home, Optimus."

"I would send you to spy on the Decepticons. Instead of gathering information, you'd open your port to Megatron," growled Prime.

Bumblebee realized that Prime had fried a circuit. Optimus thought he was this world's Bumblebee. The Bumblebee who had been Megatron's lover. The Bumblebee Prime had killed.

"O-Optimus," said the little mech. "I'm not...the Bumblebee of this world."

"You're my Bumblebee," replied Prime.

The larger mech reached forward and grasped the port covering between Bumblebee's legs.

"NO!" shouted Bumblebee. But it was too late. He felt his seal snap as Prime opened his port covering.

"And I am going to prove you're mine," said Prime, as he opened his own port covering and took out his cord.

…...

It had hurt. Bumblebee had never felt pain like that before. The little mech had struggled and yelled. No bot had come in to stop Optimus. It felt like hours before Prime had stopped.

After the Autobot leader was done, he had stepped back and closed his port covering. Prime had turned to the control panel and pressed a button. All the manacles snapped open and Bumblebee fell to the floor.

"I'm letting you off lightly," said the Autobot leader. He stared down at the little yellow mech. "Sideswipe and Sunstreaker heard you yell when the Decepticon grabbed you. You tried to warn us."

Optimus turned away and walked toward the door. Bumblebee remained on the ground. The little mech reached for his port covering and closed it. Prime stopped at the door and looked back.

"If I have to punish you again, Bumblebee, it will be much worse," said Optimus. He then exited the room.

...

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Reviews?**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you, Guest, for the review! **_

Chapter 8

As soon as Bumblebee thought Prime was gone, he got himself off of the floor. The yellow mech felt a lingering ache. Bumblebee suspected that his socket had been damaged by Optimus. Even though the little mech wanted it checked and repaired, if needed, he didn't want to go to Ratchet. He feared that the Medical Officer would make things worse, not better.

As he exited the medical area, Bumblebee looked around. No other Autobots were nearby. Bumblebee wondered if he could escape. The little mech could most likely find his way back to the Decepticon base, as it was in roughly the same area as the one in his world. Of course, he wondered if he would be allowed to walk outside.

_I can't stay here_, thought Bumblebee, as he made his way to the entrance. _I have to try._

"Hold!"

Bumblebee stopped. Sunstreaker stepped forward. A moment later, he was followed by Sideswipe.

"Where are you going, Bumblebee?" asked Sideswipe. He smirked at the little mech.

"Am I allowed to walk around outside?" asked Bumblebee. If the twins went to attack, the little mech's only option would be to retreat into the base. He still didn't have any weapons.

"Prime went to a lot of trouble to get you back," said Sunstreaker. The yellow and black mech walked around the mini. "He'd blow a circuit if you took off...again." By this time, the larger mech had moved behind Bumblebee.

"I didn't ask for Soundwave to grab me," snapped Bumblebee. He shifted his head and looked at the mech behind him.

"That's the only reason why you're still walking around right now," replied Sideswipe. Bumblebee shifted his attention to the red mech. He was smirking at Bumblebee. "If Prime had been really mad with you, you would still be in the medical area, only with Ratchet fixing you."

Sunstreaker finished walking around Bumblebee and stood next to his brother.

"Sunstreaker! Sideswipe!"

Just like before, the twins were interrupted by Ironhide. The older mech made his way to them.

"We just caught little Bumblebee trying to escape," said Sideswipe.

"I was not escaping," snapped Bumblebee. Of course, the yellow mini was lying, but he wasn't going to tell any of these Autobots that. "No bot told me I couldn't walk around outside."

"I'll take him," replied Ironhide.

The tone of voice sounded correct, but there was something about what the older mech said that seemed to amuse the twins.

"Take me?" asked Bumblebee. With everything he had heard and seen since coming to this world, he didn't trust Ironhide or the twins.

"You want to go outside, right?" demanded Ironhide. The twins stepped back and Ironhide moved forward. "I'll be your escort so you won't have to worry about any Decepticons grabbing you again."

Bumblebee nodded his head. He moved between the twins. He followed the red mech outside.

"Any particular direction you want to...walk in?" asked Ironhide. The red Autobot stopped and waited for Bumblebee.

"It doesn't matter," replied Bumblebee. Since the red mech wasn't moving, Bumblebee turned right and started to walk. Ironhide followed him, but stayed one or two steps behind Bumblebee, like a guard.

They followed the base of the volcano. The sun had almost set on another day. The yellow mech wondered what was happening in his world. Were the Autobots searching Cybertron for him? Brawn would have seen Soundwave throw him into the space bridge before it started. Or did his comrades think him lost? Gone forever?

Bumblebee was lost in his thoughts when he felt a hand grab his shoulder and spin him around. Bumblebee's back slammed into the mountainside.

"I think that's far enough," said Ironhide.

"What do you mean?" asked the yellow mech.

"I think you got off easy," replied Ironhide. "I think Prime took pity on you. After all the time and energy it took to get you back, you should still be in there. Screaming."

Bumblebee felt the rocks he was pressed against with both hands. His hand slipped over a larger rock that seemed loose. Carefully, he wrapped his hand around it. He didn't have any weapons, but that didn't mean he couldn't use what was available to him.

"The other Bumblebee was willing to open his port for a Decepticon," said Ironhide. He crowded the smaller mech. "Prime noted that you still had your seal, so you aren't as easy as our Bumblebee, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind opening up for another Autobot."

The larger mech lunged for Bumblebee. The yellow mini pulled the rock free and slammed it into Ironhide's face. It wouldn't cause the Weapons Officer a lot of damage, but Bumblebee was hoping for enough of a distraction that he could escape.

Apparently, Bumblebee struck harder than he thought he had or Ironhide hadn't been expecting the blow. Whatever the case was, the red mech lost his balance and fell backwards. Bumblebee rushed out. He wasn't going to run back to the base. But before he could get far enough away to transform and drive away, he was tackled from behind.

"You piece of frag!" shouted Ironhide.

The larger mech pinned Bumblebee to the ground. The yellow mech kicked, but couldn't seem to catch Ironhide. He felt the larger mech's hand on his port covering.

"No!" shouted Bumblebee. _Not again! Please, Primus!_

"When I am done, I am going to tell Prime you tried to escape," growled Ironhide. "He'll be so angry, he'll spark torture you and I'm going to ask to watch."

Just as Ironhide slid the port covering open, Bumblebee heard the shot. He felt Ironhide slump and the larger mech pinned Bumblebee. The yellow mech shoved and pushed, trying to see what was going on. The mini couldn't move the bigger mech and couldn't see, since he was pinned with his front on the ground.

"Come on!" The words came at the same time as another bot helped him move Ironhide.

Finally, the larger mech was pulled off Bumblebee and the yellow mini stood up. He noticed two things at once. The first was that his rescuer was Skywarp. The second was that Ironhide no longer had a head.

"We've got to go," said Skywarp, as he wrapped an arm around Bumblebee.

The yellow mech heard shouting as they teleported away from the Autobot base.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews, FlorLove152 and Guest! **_

Chapter 9

When Skywarp and Bumblebee arrived at the space bridge, Megatron was the only Decepticon waiting for them. Rather than waste time transforming into a jet, Skywarp had flown the entire way, in robot form, with Bumblebee. They landed hard and came running toward the space bridge.

"They know, boss," said the purple jet. "It won't be long before they're here."

"What happened?" demanded Megatron. He moved to the control panel and starting entering information.

"That fragging Ironhide," said Skywarp.

Megatron looked away from the space bridge control panel and looked at Bumblebee. It was then that he noticed that the yellow mech's port covering was open.

"Oh, Bumblebee," said Megatron.

The yellow mech noticed what the Decepticon leader saw. He turned away from Megatron and quietly closed his port covering.

"I'm so sorry, Bumblebee," said Megatron.

"Just get me home," replied the yellow Autobot, as he turned back to face the Decepticon leader. The mini wasn't broken, but he was ready to return to his own world.

Megatron nodded his head and checked the control panel. "It's ready."

Bumblebee nodded his head and walked into the open doorway of the space bridge. He turned around and glanced back. Megatron was standing where Bumblebee could see him, though he was outside of the space bridge door. Bumblebee didn't see Skywarp, but guessed that the Decepticon had either left or assumed Megatron's position at the control panel.

"Goodbye, Bumblebee," said Megatron.

"Bye...Megatron," replied the yellow Autobot. "And thank you."

Megatron nodded his head, then looked to the side. "Skywarp."

The door to the space bridge closed. The lights that circled the top of the space bridge light up and started to spin. Faster and faster they went. A moment later, darkness greeted Bumblebee.

…...

The next thing Bumblebee saw, he was standing in the space bridge and it was daylight. By the time Skywarp and Bumblebee had met up with Megatron, the full darkness of night had spread over the land. Now, it was the middle of the day. The door to the bridge open and Bumblebee stumbled out.

"Bumblebee?"

The yellow mech looked over and saw Windcharger and Brawn.

"Are you ok?" asked Brawn. He rushed toward Bumblebee.

Bumblebee took a step back. His hands went up, ready to defend himself. Brawn stopped when he saw the reaction.

"Bumblebee? Are you hurt?" asked Windcharger, who had also noted the yellow mech's reaction.

Megatron yelled a retreat. All three Autobots watched as the Decepticons left. Within moments, the Decepticons were gone and the Autobots were the only ones left. The littlest Autobot backed up and had placed the wall of the space bridge against his back.

"Ratchet!" shouted Brawn.

The yellow and green Autobot looked at Bumblebee. Though he wasn't one for big emotional displays, he was worried about the mini. Brawn glanced at Windcharger, who looked at him and shrugged. Neither Autobot could figure out why Bumblebee seemed wary of them. It was almost like the yellow mini expected them to attack him.

A moment later, Ratchet came rushing over. "Who's hurt?" he demanded.

"Bumblebee," said Windcharger. "I think Soundwave damaged something when he threw Bee into the bridge."

Ratchet nodded and approached Bumblebee. The yellow mech moved away. The white Autobot stopped and frowned. "Bee? I need to check you over."

"No," replied Bumblebee. His tone was cautious. He kept his optics on the Autobots in front of him. He looked carefully at their optics. So far, all the Autobots had blue optics. "Where am I?"

"What do you mean?" asked Ratchet. His tone was careful.

"Bumblebee," said Brawn, drawing the attention of the yellow Autobot. "I don't think you went anywhere. The bridge light up then a moment later light up again."

"I've been gone for almost two Earth days," replied Bumblebee. It wasn't until he said that that the yellow mech realized how tired he was. He hadn't recharged the entire time he had been in the other world.

"Bumblebee," said Windcharger. He waited until the yellow Autobot looked at him before he continued. "You were gone for maybe an Earth minute."

The yellow mech shook his head. "It was longer."

Bumblebee stepped toward the Autobots. They knew that Bumblebee had been thrown into the space bridge. Their optics were blue. The mini was becoming more and more confident that he had been returned to his world.

"What's going on?" demanded Ironhide. The red mech rushed toward the four Autobots.

Bumblebee moved back quickly and slammed his back into the wall of the space bridge. The memories of the other Ironhide's actions were still too fresh for the mini to feel comfortable with Ironhide moving toward him quickly.

Ironhide jerked to a stop, surprised at the reaction. "Bee? What's wrong?" His tone was soft, or at least as soft as the older mech could make it.

Bumblebee's optics were focused on the red mech. If the Weapons Officer didn't know better, he would swear that the mini was scared of him. It was not a comfortable feeling.

"Ironhide," said Ratchet. His voice was quiet. His normal gruff manners was surprisingly gentle. "Step back."

The Weapons Officer stepped back. He frowned and looked worried as he continued to stare at Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee," said Ratchet. His voice was still gentle. "No bot here is going to hurt you."

As Ironhide stepped back, Bumblebee moved forward again. His optics shifted from Ironhide to Ratchet.

"Is Bumblebee hurt?"

The question was asked with concern, but when Bumblebee saw Optimus moving toward him, he backed up again. His back hit the space bridge hard. His optics were on the red and blue Autobot.

"Prime," replied Ratchet. He kept his optics on the yellow Autobot. "Please stay back."

The Chief Medical Officer didn't know if Bumblebee was telling the truth, that he had been gone for almost two days, or whether he had sustained damage from the battle and his scrambled circuits were giving him misinformation. So far, Ratchet had noticed that the strongest reactions from Bumblebee had been reserved for Ironhide and Optimus. He had been nervous when Ratchet had approached, but the yellow mech was scared of the other two.

"Bumblebee," said Ratchet. His kept his tone soft. "Would you like to wait until we return to base before I check you for damage?"

"Yes," replied the Autobot. "Just give me a little time."

"Will you let Brawn and Windcharger drive back with you?" asked the Chief Medical Officer.

Bumblebee glanced at the other two Autobots. He nodded his head.

"Good," replied Ratchet. He looked at Brawn and Windcharger. "Keep an optic on him and help him back to the base."

They nodded and together the three mini bots transformed and took off for the Autobot base. Ironhide and Optimus, who had kept silent during the exchange, approached Ratchet.

"What happened to Bee?" demanded Ironhide.

"I don't know," replied Ratchet. Rather than look at the two mechs standing next to him, he kept his attention focused on the quickly departing Autobots. "Brawn said that Bumblebee was in the space bridge when it went active. Windcharger said, at most, Bumblebee was gone for an Earth minute, but Bumblebee said he was gone for almost two days."

"Check him over," said Optimus. The Autobot leader was worried and it could be clearly heard in his voice. "Let me know what you find."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

At the Autobot base, Bumblebee nervously waited for Ratchet in the medical area. His optics kept drifting to the far wall where, in the other world, manacles had held him prisoner. Over and over again, the yellow mech told himself he was safe and he was back in his own world. The Autobots weren't going to hurt him. When the door opened, Bumblebee shifted his attention, but seemed relived when he saw Spike enter.

"Bumblebee?" said the human, as he approached. "I heard you were hurt." Spike stopped near the medical berth that Bumblebee sat on.

"Spike?" said Bumblebee. If the human was here, then Bumblebee had further proof he was in the right world. "Do you remember how we watched that television show, _The Twilight Zone_?"

"Sure," replied the human. He climbed onto the medical berth, with Bumblebee's help. "Why?"

"I feel like I have lived it for the last two days," mumbled Bumblebee.

Quickly, the Autobot made a decision. He turned to his friend and told him everything. A part of him wondered if he should be telling his human friend all that had happened. He could tell that Spike didn't understand everything he said, as they had never had a conversation about interfacing and there wasn't a human comparison for spark torture. In the end, it felt like a relief to share his experience with his friend, even if Spike didn't understand everything he had been through.

"I'm so sorry," said Spike. The human placed a hand on Bumblebee's leg. He could tell that Bumblebee had gone through a terrible experience.

"I know that they won't hurt me," said Bumblebee, as he glanced toward the door to the medical area. "But..."

"After the last two days you've been through, it's not surprising," reassured Spike. "Would...would it help if I told Optimus what you just told me? To give you more time before you have to make your official report?"

Bumblebee felt like a coward, but he knew, at this time, he couldn't bring himself to report to Optimus. What the other Prime did was still too fresh in his circuits. He needed time to adjust, but Optimus needed to know of the threat of that other world. If the bridge wasn't destroyed, then any bot from that world could enter their world.

"I would appreciate it, Spike," replied Bumblebee.

"Has Ratchet checked you over?" asked Spike.

"Not yet," replied the yellow Autobot.

"I could be here," offered Spike, "when Ratchet checks you over?"

"I'd like that," replied Bumblebee. The mini knew that, if Ratchet wanted to hurt him, Spike wouldn't be able to stop it. Then again, the yellow mech knew that this Ratchet wouldn't hurt him. It was the offer, more than anything, that meant a great deal to Bumblebee.

"I'm going to find Optimus now and talk to him," said Spike. The Autobot helped Spike down from the medical berth. The human walked toward the door.

As Spike reached the door, it opened and Ratchet stood there. "Hey, Ratchet. I need to talk to Optimus, but I told Bumblebee I would be here during his check up. Can it wait until I get back?"

Bumblebee looked down. He couldn't even meet the optics of Ratchet. He didn't realize until the human said something that Bumblebee accepting the offer could look like he didn't trust the white mech. But if Ratchet felt that way, he didn't indicate.

"Actually, I was just coming to let Bumblebee know I also have to talk to Prime before I see him, so this works out," replied Ratchet. His tone was still gentle, though no where near as much as it had been on the battlefield.

"Great!" said Spike. He looked back at Bumblebee. "I'll be back."

Bumblebee nodded his head and watched the door close.

…...

Together Ratchet and Spike walked down the hall. The Chief Medical Officer shared that Optimus was in the lounge with a few other Autobots.

"Bumblebee told me what happened," said Spike.

"I figured as much," replied Ratchet. "You're going to tell Optimus?"

"Yes," replied the human. Spike looked up. "I heard that Bumblebee acted...weird on the battlefield."

"He seemed scared of us," replied Ratchet, who nodded his head. "Like he expected us to...hurt him?"

"If what Bumblebee told me is true, I can understand why," replied Spike.

Together they arrived in the lounge and found that there were a lot less Autobots than either had expected. Ratchet had expected to have to clear the room, but found Optimus was speaking with Ironhide. No other Autobots were present.

"Optimus," said Spike. "I need to speak with you."

"Spike," said Optimus, but Ratchet cut him off.

"Bumblebee told Spike what happened."

The human quickly found himself the center of attention. He shared what Bumblebee had told him, but when he got to the part where Optimus dented Bumblebee's arm, Ironhide broke in.

"Prime would never hurt Bee."

"Ironhide," replied Optimus, "let Spike finish."

Spike picked up where he left off, but he found himself stumbling when he got to the part where Prime had interfaced with Bumblebee. He struggled to remember the word Bumblebee had used.

"Spike," said Ratchet, "you said the other Prime hurt Bumblebee. Did he say what happened? I can do a complete system check, but it would speed things along if I knew where to focus."

"He said..." said Spike. The human frowned. "...he said Optimus forced him to...interface. A one-way interface."

"Primus, no," said Ironhide. Horror filled his words.

"Oh, Bee," said Ratchet sadly.

Optimus said nothing. He turned away from the others for a moment.

"What does that mean, Ratchet?" asked Spike. He looked at the white mech.

"The human comparison...would be...rape," replied Ratchet quietly.

"Not Bumblebee," said Spike. His eyes filled with tears for his friend.

"Spike," said Prime. There was an edge to Optimus' voice. The human wasn't sure whether it was anger or horror. "Please finish telling us what he said."

Spike took a deep breath and finished Bumblebee's story. When he mentioned how the evil Ironhide had also tried to interface with Bumblebee, the Weapons Officer growled, but didn't say anything else. After he finished, the lounge was silent.

"Prime," said Ratchet. "We need to destroy the space bridge, just in case any from that world try to come here."

"Agreed," replied Optimus. Prime shifted his attention from Ratchet to the Weapons Officer. "Ironhide, take a small group of Autobots to the space bridge and destroy it."

"Right away, Prime," replied the red mech. He left the lounge quickly.

"Spike," said the CMO. He looked down the the human. "I need to check over Bumblebee, so let's go. You said you wanted to sit with him."

Spike nodded and followed Ratchet, but stopped in the doorway. "Ratchet, Bumblebee mentioned something else..."

"Another injury?" asked Ratchet. The CMO glanced at Optimus. It was bad enough that a mech had forced Bumblebee to interface. The white mech wondered what else the mini had gone through in the other world.

"No," replied Spike.

"Spike, what did Bumblebee say?" asked Optimus.

"When the other Ironhide attacked him, he threatened Bumblebee with spark torture," said Spike. He watched the two Autobots and immediately saw their reactions.

"No," said Ratchet. His voice cracked on that one word.

Optimus said nothing. Like before, when Spike had mentioned the forced interface, the Autobot leader turned away.

"Bumblebee said that the other Optimus had spark tortured the other Bumblebee," added Spike. He didn't know if Ratchet and Optimus would find the information helpful, but felt like he needed to share it, just in case it was important.

"Oh, Primus," said Ratchet. He paced. The CMO stopped in front of Optimus. "How could any bot suggest spark torturing Bumblebee!?"

The Autobot leader raised his hand and placed it gently on Ratchet. "There is nothing we can do for the other Bumblebee. Ironhide will destroy the space bridge. No bot from that world will come here. Our Bumblebee will be safe."

Spike heard the faintest tremble to Prime's words. The Autobot leader was deeply disturbed. While the normally unflappable Ratchet expressed what he was feeling, Prime attempted to remain calm. Spike knew that the control wasn't because Optimus didn't care, but because he cared too much.

Spike watched as Ratchet pulled himself together and regained his control. The human didn't think less of the Chief Medical Officer because he had briefly lost control of his emotions. Ratchet usually rolled with the punches. Spike understood that what had been discussed today was truly horrifying to the Autobots.

Ratchet turned away from Optimus and looked down at Spike. "Let's go see Bumblebee."

The human nodded his head. Together the two left the Autobot leader in the lounge. Quickly, they found themselves back at the medical area. The door opened and Spike rushed in.

Ratchet stopped in the doorway and looked at Bumblebee. The small Autobot was nervous. He wasn't as scared as the Chief Medical Officer had seen earlier, but Bumblebee was normally so happy that even this was upsetting for Ratchet to witness. While he hadn't ruled out system damage from the battle, Ratchet had never hoped for that diagnosis more than he did in that moment. He wanted Bumblebee to have suffered damage from the space bridge glitching, rather than to have gone through everything Spike had shared.

"Bumblebee," said Ratchet, as he approached the medical berth. "Spike said your arm was recently repaired. I'm going to check it."

Bumblebee nodded his head and held out his right arm. Ratchet examined it. Brawn had reported that Soundwave had grabbed Bumblebee and had thrown him into the space bridge. Any damage to the arm could have been done by the Decepticon. But, if Soundwave had done it, then the damage should have still been present.

It quickly became apparent that there had been recent damage. And that damage had been fixed. Ratchet cleaned up some of the repairs to the arm. Eventually, no bot would know that Bumblebee's arm had been damaged.

"Hey, Ratchet," mumbled Bumblebee.

The CMO put down his tools. "Yes, Bee?"

"I know you like us aware when you do repairs," said Bumblebee quietly. "but if you don't mind, I haven't recharged in two Earth days..."

"Bumblebee," replied Ratchet, "would you like to recharge while I finish the examination?"

"Yes," murmured the yellow Autobot. The mini laid down on the medical berth.

Ratchet nodded his head and left the berth. He grabbed a portable recharging station and brought it back to Bumblebee. Bumblebee plugged in and he slipped into recharging mode.

Ratchet examined Bumblebee's energy level and found that he was much lower than what a simple battle should have done to the little mech's energy. His level was consistent with not having charged in two Earth days. The hope that this was all a glitch was fast disappearing.

The CMO looked down at Spike. The human sat on the medical berth next to Bumblebee. Spike had his hand on Bumblebee's.

"You can leave, if you want," said Ratchet. "While he's recharging, he won't know whether you're here or not."

Spike shook his head. "I told him I would stay and I am staying."

Ratchet nodded his head. He changed his tools. Not able to delay any longer, the Chief Medical Officer checked Bumblebee's port covering. Ratchet saw the badly broken seal. He cleaned it up before he slid it open and checked for internal damage. It didn't take more than a brief examination to see that Bumblebee's socket was damaged. The kind of damage that only happened during a forced interface.

"Oh, Bumblebee," whispered Ratchet. He stepped away from the berth and went to his supplies. He found a replacement socket.

"He's telling the truth, isn't he?" asked Spike. The boy had lifted his eyes from his friend and met the gaze of Ratchet. "He really did go into another world."

"Yes," replied Ratchet.

Quickly, the Medical Officer removed the damaged socket and put it down, near the berth. He would dispose of it later. The white mech installed the new socket.

Ratchet checked over Bumblebee for any more injuries, but found none. He put away his tools and went back to the berth. Ratchet picked up Spike and placed him on the floor.

"I'm done and Bumblebee needs to rest," said Ratchet.

Quietly, they left the room. Ratchet went to find Optimus.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hours later, Bumblebee woke up, feeling rested. Ratchet was in the medical area and noticed immediately when Bumblebee came out of his recharge mode. The mini unplugged himself from the portable recharger.

"How do you feel?" Ratchet asked. The white mech approached the medical berth.

"Better," replied Bumblebee. He sat up. "Am I free to go?"

"Yes," replied the Medical Officer.

Bumblebee slipped off of the berth. He made his way to the door.

"Bumblebee?"

The yellow mech stopped and looked back at Ratchet. Now, fully charged and repaired, Bumblebee felt bad for ever doubting any of his comrades. They were his friends and would never hurt him. He couldn't believe how he had treated Brawn, Windcharger, Ratchet, Optimus, and Ironhide. He knew that he must have made them feel terrible.

Before the Medical Officer could say what he had planned to say, Bumblebee blurted out, "I'm sorry."

"What?" said Ratchet, taken aback. "Why?"

"From earlier," said Bumblebee. "I mean, I freaked out on you and you weren't the ones..."

"Stop right there," said Ratchet. The old grumpy Ratchet was back. "You don't need to apologize at all. You had a bad experience with bots who looked like us. You had every right to be cautious."

Bumblebee opened his mouth to argue, but Ratchet interrupted him. "Now get out of here. I have work to do."

Bumblebee smiled and nodded his head. He exited the medical area and walked down the hall. He wanted to find Spike.

"Sideswipe! Sunstreaker!"

At Ratchet's words, Bumblebee spun around and saw that the twins were behind him. Not close, but it was obvious that they had been attempting to sneak up on him.

"Get in here! Now!" growled Ratchet.

For once, the twins didn't argue and slipped into the medical area, as Bumblebee walked away. Inside the medical area, Ratchet glared at the two Autobots.

"What were you going to do?" demanded Ratchet.

"What makes you think we were going to do anything?" replied Sideswipe, with a quick grin.

"Leave Bee alone," said Ratchet. "He's been through a rough time."

"It's harmless," said Sunstreaker. "We were just going to cheer him up. Just a little bit of fun."

"Gears didn't think it was too much _fun_ when you attached him to the ceiling in the lounge," replied Ratchet.

"He got down...eventually," replied Sunstreaker. "And Gears wouldn't know what was fun if it bit him on the tailgate."

"That's not the point!"

While Sunstreaker and Ratchet continued to argue, Sideswipe looked around. His optics stopped at the medical berth. Most of the Autobots were aware that Bumblebee had spent time in another world. Some Autobots had been present when Ratchet had reported to Optimus. The Chief Medical Officer had only said that there was clear evidence that Bumblebee's account was accurate. No further details were mentioned.

Of course the twins hadn't been present to hear the brief report. They had heard about it from others. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had gone with Ironhide to destroy the space bridge. The old mech hadn't shared much, though he did mention that Bumblebee had been hurt while he had been there. The twins had guessed something had happened to the mini, since Bumblebee had been in the medical area being checked over by Ratchet.

Sideswipe's optics focused on what he saw next to the berth. It took him a moment to realize it was a damaged socket. The red mech hadn't been involved with the war as long as Ratchet, Prime, and Ironhide, but he knew what a damaged socket meant.

"No," said Sideswipe. There was pain in that one word.

Startled, Ratchet and Sunstreaker stopped their argument.

"What's wrong, Sides?" demanded Sunstreaker.

Ratchet looked at Sideswipe and noticed that the Autobot was staring at the medical berth. Ratchet glanced over and saw the socket. Bumblebee's damaged socket.

"Ironhide said..." said Sideswipe, but found he couldn't finish the sentence. Ironhide had said that the space bridge had taken Bumblebee into another world, where the Autobots were evil. It was those Autobots who had hurt Bumblebee.

"What's going on?" demanded Sunstreaker.

Ratchet realized that the yellow Autobot couldn't see the medical berth or the damaged socket. The red Autobot reached forward and grabbed Ratchet's arm.

"How could any bot do that to Bee?"

"Now do you understand why I stopped you from pranking him?" replied Ratchet quietly.

Realizing that whatever bothered his brother was on the medical berth, Sunstreaker stepped around Ratchet and walked up to the berth. It took him a moment before he saw the damaged socket. He picked it up and crushed it in his hand.

"I wish I had never helped Ironhide destroy the bridge," growled Sunstreaker.

"Why?" asked Ratchet. He turned to look at the yellow Autobot.

"Then I could go into that other world and destroy whichever bot did this to Bee," replied Sunstreaker.

"Bee is safe, Sunny," replied Sideswipe.

"Not enough," growled Sunstreaker, as he dropped the crushed socket on the berth.

…...

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Only a few chapters left!**_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bumblebee found Spike and together they walked around outside. At first,they didn't say much. Spike didn't know if his friend needed to talk more about what had happened to him or if it would be better to discuss something else. Bumblebee found he didn't want to talk about it. He knew he still needed to report to Optimus, but he was delaying.

They were heading toward the entrance to the Autobot base, when Spike stopped and pointed out into the distance.

"Is that Optimus?"

Bumblebee looked out and saw a red 18-wheeler coming toward them. Bumblebee realized he couldn't put it off any more. There was a difference between avoiding his leader and running away from him. Bumblebee knew Optimus wouldn't hurt him and to continue to avoid the larger mech was cruel. It would be like punishing Optimus for what the evil Prime had done.

"Looks like it," replied the yellow mech. Bumblebee looked down at his friend. "I'm going to wait for him. I really should report in."

"Do you want me to wait with you?" offered Spike.

Bumblebee shook his head. "Go ahead inside."

Spike walked away from Bumblebee. They were near enough to the entrance of the Autobot base that, by the time Optimus rolled to a stop by Bumblebee, the human was inside of the base. Bumblebee kept his optics in the direction that Spike had walked in, even though he heard Optimus transform.

"I-I'm sorry I haven't reported in yet," mumbled Bumblebee.

Prime reached out to Bumblebee. The yellow mech jerked his optics to his leader when he felt Optimus wrap a hand around Bumblebee's arm. Bumblebee looked up and saw red optics.

"My naughty little Bee," growled Prime.

"No," whispered Bumblebee. He was shocked. The evil Optimus was here!

Prime drew back his arm and threw Bumblebee. The yellow mech hit the side of the mountain. He slid to the ground. Bumblebee stood up. He knew he was no match for Prime. And he hadn't even replaced his weapon either. He had been too busy trying to find Spike that he didn't go see Ironhide for a new gun.

Prime rushed at him. Bumblebee dodged to the side. He felt the hand of the larger mech grab his arm and jerked him back against the mountain. Optimus grabbed Bumblebee's other arm and raised them both over the little mech's head. Bumblebee kicked out. Prime lifted one leg and pressed it against Bumblebee's legs, trapping them against the mountain. The larger mech then shifted his hands around, so one hand held both of Bumblebee's wrists. Bumblebee was pinned against the mountain side.

"I warned you," whispered Prime. His free hand was feeling Bumblebee's left side, just under the arm. "This time it will be much worse."

Bumblebee felt the latch slip and the first layer of his chest opened. When the larger mech had pinned him to the mountain, Bumblebee's first thought was Prime would try to interface. Now, Bumblebee feared that it would be much worse. His fears were confirmed when Prime pushed open the first layer and his hand immediately when to the right side of chest. Prime was trying to get to his spark!

"No!" shouted Bumblebee.

He struggled against the larger mech. Prime stopped with trying to find the second latch. The larger mech had to use his free hand to put more pressure onto Bumblebee's raised arms.

"Why do you make me punish you, Bee?" said Prime. He readjusted his grip on Bumblebee's wrists. "Do you enjoy it?"

"Stop!" yelled Bumblebee. He knew his only hope was for another Autobot to hear him.

Once his grip was secure on Bumblebee's wrists, Prime went back to finding the second latch, so he could open the second level of Bumblebee's chest. Bumblebee continued to struggle, but it didn't do any good. The larger mech had a solid hold on the mini's arms and Bumblebee couldn't move his legs.

"Let me go!" shouted the mini.

"I don't have time to finish your punishment, Bee," said Prime. "But I can't just bring you back without any repercussions."

"I'm not going back!" yelled Bumblebee.

If Bumblebee had been human, he would have cried when he felt the second latch slip open. Prime opened it and a pure white light shown out from Bumblebee's chest. The evil Autobot leader let his hand fall down to his side as he stared at Bumblebee's spark.

"I remember the first time I saw your spark," said Prime. He raised his hand. It hovered above Bumblebee's spark. Not touching. Almost like the mech was looking at the light between his fingers.

"Stop!" screamed Bumblebee. "I'm not him!"

"I held it in my hands," whispered the larger mech. "And I squeezed." The last words were growled. "You opened your port, like a pleasure bot, to our enemy. You betrayed me! After all our years and you interfaced with another! A Decepticon! You had to be punished."

Prime's fingers touched the outer edge of the spark chamber. The little mech froze. Prime hadn't touched the yellow mech's spark, but he was close.

"Please, don't," said Bumblebee. The voice wavered.

"But you," said Prime. His voice was quiet again. The mech shifted his attention from the mini's spark to meet Bumblebee's blue optics. "You never interfaced with the enemy. You saved it for me. I took your seal."

"O-Optimus, please," said Bumblebee. The yellow mech didn't know which was worse. When Prime thought he was the Bumblebee of his world or when the mech knew he wasn't. "Let me go."

"But you ran away," growled Prime. The mech leaned in. His face was so close to Bumblebee's that it wouldn't taken much for them to touch. "Did you interface with Megatron before you left?!"

"No!" said Bumblebee. He shouted, but the mech was afraid to move. The wrong move and Prime's hand could touch his spark. "I just wanted to go home."

"It doesn't matter," the larger mech mumbled. Prime pulled his face from Bumblebee's and stared at the spark. "I'm bringing you back. I'll keep you in the manacles. You'll never leave the base again."

"I'm not going back," said Bumblebee. His words trembled. To be trapped in the manacles, always vulnerable, never able to defend himself. The mini was scared.

Prime traced a finger above Bumblebee's spark. He didn't connect with it, but Bumblebee knew his time was running out. The forced interface had hurt, but Bumblebee knew that it would be worse if Prime touched his spark.

"My naughty, naughty Bee," whispered Prime. "Why are you challenging me?"

Prime pulled his hand back from Bumblebee's spark.

"O-Optimus?" said Bumblebee. He hoped that the larger mech had changed his circuits about touching his spark. "I am not...your Bumblebee. Just let me go? Please? I don't belong in your world."

The mech stared at the spark, before he lifted his head and locked optics with Bumblebee. "This is going to hurt." The mini could hear the cruel amusement in those words. Prime raised his hand again and moved it toward Bumblebee's spark.

"NO!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Spike walked into the base. The human went down the long hallway and into the lounge, where he stopped abruptly in the doorway. There were a few Autobots in the room, but what drew the human's attention was Optimus. The Autobot leader was talking with Ironhide.

"Optimus?" asked Spike.

There was something about the way the human said that name that drew the attention of every bot in the room.

"What's wrong, Spike?" said Optimus. He turned away from Ironhide and looked at the human.

"But?" asked Spike. It was obvious to every Autobot that the human was confused. "You were just outside. How did you get in before me?"

"Spike," replied Ironhide. The red mech was worried for the human. Was this some lingering after effect from Spike's time spent in Autobot X? "Prime hasn't been outside since the battle."

"No," said Spike. He tone had lost the confusion of a moment ago. "I know what I saw. Optimus rolled up outside. Bumblebee told me to go inside. He wanted to make his report."

Fear shot through Optimus. If Spike really had seen an Optimus Prime outside and he hadn't been outside, then Bumblebee was in danger. The Autobot leader rushed out of the lounge. The other Autobots, realizing something was wrong, followed their leader.

At the entrance of the base, the Autobot leader looked left then right. He couldn't see Bumblebee.

"Optimus," said Hound. He pointed a finger to the left. "I can hear Bumblebee."

Optimus rushed in the direction that Hound indicated. He could hear the Autobots running behind him. Just barely around the bend of the mountain, Optimus found Bumblebee. The sight horrified the leader of the Autobots.

Bumblebee was pinned to the mountain side, by a much larger mech who looked like Optimus Prime. Bumblebee's chest was open and the white glow of his spark light the air. When Optimus first took in the scene, the evil Prime had his hand down by his side.

"This is going to hurt."

The words were cruel and the evil Optimus raised his hand. The Autobot leader knew the mech was going for Bumblebee's spark. Quickly, he raised his gun. Optimus couldn't take the chance of hitting Bumblebee, but he saw that the other Prime was completely balanced on one leg. Optimus sighted his weapon on that leg just as he heard Bumblebee scream.

"NO!"

Optimus fired and the shot connected with the evil mech. He lost his balance and hit the ground. Bumblebee, not being held against the mountain, also fell.

"Bumblebee!" shouted Optimus.

He started toward the fallen Autobot, but stopped when the evil Prime stood up.

"Pathetic," sneered Prime.

Red optics stared into blue optics. Optimus didn't need any bot to tell him that this was the evil Optimus Prime that Bumblebee had met in the other world. The same mech who had forced Bumblebee to interface with him. The same mech who had killed the Bumblebee of his world.

The evil Optimus raised his weapon, but instead of pointing it at the wall of Autobots, he pointed it down at Bumblebee. The muzzle of the gun was directly in line with Bumblebee's spark, which still glowed in the air. All of the Autobots had their weapons drawn and pointed at the evil Optimus.

"Don't come any closer," said Prime. "Unless you don't care whether he lives or dies."

"Get away from him," demanded Ironhide. Like Optimus, he knew what that mech had done to Bumblebee. He saw how closely the evil Prime looked to their leader. The only difference was the optics. They even sounded similar. If the other Autobots, from the opposite world, looked and sounded as closely as evil Prime did to their Optimus, it was no wonder that Bumblebee had been scared when he had first returned.

"No," replied Prime. "He's mine and he's coming with me."

"He's not going anywhere."

The new mech drew the attention of everyone there. Megatron landed, not far from Prime and Bumblebee. Surprised by the new arrival, half of the Autobots shifted their weapons to include Megatron.

"Wait," said Optimus, as he put out a hand to stop his Autobots from firing.

Megatron turned his head and looked at Optimus. Blue optics met blue optics. Megatron smiled sadly before he shifted his attention back to Prime.

"Well, well, well," sneered Prime. "Looks like you couldn't leave him alone either. Just had to follow him into his world too."

Megatron shook his head. "I saw you enter the space bridge. I realized that you had gone after him."

The Decepticon had tried to tell himself that this Bumblebee wasn't his Bumblebee, but the mini sounded and looked too much like the mech he had loved and still grieved for. He had failed to save his Bumblebee. He would never forget the sight of his Bumblebee's death. He knew, saving this Bumblebee wouldn't bring his back, but he couldn't abandon this Bumblebee again.

"He's mine," growled the evil mech. "My Bumblebee."

"He doesn't belong in our world, Prime. Our Bumblebee is dead," replied Megatron.

"Oh, I know," replied Prime. The cruel amusement was back in his voice. "But I like this one better. Do you know why, Megatron?"

Megatron refused to answer. He looked beyond Prime and saw Bumblebee. His white spark was so bright. But there was something in the mech's face that hadn't been there when Megatron had first met Bumblebee. It was a look that Prime had created, by hurting the mini. Suffering caused by a mech that the mini thought he could trust. It was the same look Megatron had occasionally seen on his Bumblebee's face.

He had told himself that there hadn't been a choice, when he had abandoned Bumblebee to the Autobots. Prime would have order the mini's death, if the Decepticons hadn't retreated. Also, if Megatron was honest with himself, it would have broken something inside of him to see another Bumblebee killed.

"_Our Bumblebee_," Prime put a vicious twist to those words, "never screamed. No matter how often I forced open his port covering and interfaced with him."

Megatron showed no visual reaction to Prime's words, though the words cut deep. But the Autobots gasped with surprise and horror. Most of the Autobots had been told very little about the other world, other than that Bumblebee had been hurt while there.

A forced interface wasn't common but it wasn't uncommon either. And rarely was it spoken of so casually. To hear a mech, who looked like their leader, say he had forced another mech was an even bigger shock.

Besides Ironhide, Ratchet, and Optimus, the only other Autobots who didn't react were Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. At Prime's words, they quietly turned their weapons from Megatron to Prime. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who had hurt their Bumblebee, once they heard what Prime had done to the yellow mini of his world.

"He cared about you," said Megatron sadly. He wasn't sad for the leader of the Autobots, but for the mini who had been caught between the two leaders. "Once. But, every time you hurt him, you destroyed those feelings he had for you, until there were none left."

"He was a traitor," snarled Prime. "I'd send him to spy and he'd interface with you. He had to be punished."

"You were hurting him long before Bee and I were together," replied Megatron. "You drove him away."

Prime went to move toward the Decepticon, so consumed by his anger for Megatron. He had barely taken a half step when he paused. He remembered the mini at his feet and the other Autobots who were present. He knew, if he stepped too far away from Bumblebee, the Autobots would rush in. He stared down at Bumblebee.

The yellow mini didn't look at Prime. He knew that the larger mech was focused on him, but he refused to raise his gaze. He kept his attention on Megatron. He wanted to turn his optics to his fellow Autobots, but knew that would risk turning his head away from Prime and the gun pointed at him.

"I take that back," replied Prime softly. The evil mech returned his attention to Megatron. "I made _your_ Bumblebee scream once. The last time. When I squeezed his spark in my hands." The mech growled those last words.

"You twisted piece of frag," said Ironhide.

The evil Prime turned his attention to the Autobots. "But this one?" He twitched his gun toward the yellow mini. Bumblebee snapped his attention from Megatron to the gun. The muzzle of the weapon was too close his chest. Bumblebee was afraid to move, for fear that the muzzle would connect with his spark. "_Optimus! You're hurting me!_" The falsetto was obviously intended to be an intimation of Bumblebee's voice.

Prime shifted his attention back to Megatron. "He's far more responsive than _your_ Bumblebee. Would you like to hear about how _this _Bumblebeescreamed when I broke his seal and force him to interface with me? How he begged me to let him go?"

The gasps of horror and surprise shifted to anger. The Autobots were furious. They had been upset for the other Bumblebee. But the other Bumblebee wasn't their Bumblebee. No bot was allowed to hurt their Bumblebee.

The little yellow mech couldn't take his optics off of the gun. A part of Bumblebee wished Prime would pull the trigger. To end it all. He hadn't wanted his fellow Autobots to know. It was bad enough that Optimus and Ratchet knew. Now every bot knew what Prime had done to him.

But Bumblebee refused to let the evil mech win. Maybe he didn't have a weapon, but he refused to be beaten by Prime. He shifted his optics from the gun and glared at the larger mech. He wasn't manacled. He wasn't alone this time.

Prime turned his attention and look down at Bumblebee. He saw how the mini glared at him. "Still haven't learned your lesson, Bee?" The words were spoken softly.

Before any mech could move, the evil Prime reached down and grabbed Bumblebee's arm. He jerked the Autobot up from the ground and wrapped his arm around Bumblebee's torso, just under the opening of the yellow mech's spark chamber. He pulled the mini against his chest.

"Let him go!" The words were said by almost every Autobot. They didn't want that evil mech touching Bumblebee.

A few stepped forward, but Optimus put out his hand. They stopped. Optimus knew, with Bumblebee's spark open to air and vulnerable, none could risk firing a shot. Optimus had had surprise on his side, when he fired previously. Then again, Bumblebee's spark hadn't been facing him, like it was now. The chance of hitting Bumblebee was too great. And any direct hits to Bumblebee's spark would kill him.

"He's coming back with me," growled Prime. His red optics stared at the Autobots in front of him. "I'm not leaving this world without him."

"No!" said Bumblebee. "I'm not going!" The mini struggled. Bumblebee's arms were pinned to his side. Prime tightened his hold on the Autobot.

"Do not challenge me, Bee," whispered Prime. "You do not know how much I want to hurt you right now." He pointed his gun at the mini's head. "How much I want to grab your spark and make you scream." Bumblebee stilled. The evil mech turned his attention to the Autobots in front of him.

"You have two choices," said Prime. He stared at the Autobots and ignored Megatron. "You can let me leave with him or..."

"Or what?" demanded Ironhide. The Weapons Officer was furious. As long as Prime held Bumblebee, the Autobots couldn't move against the evil mech.

"Or I will rip out his spark."

"You wouldn't..." said Hound, as he took a step forward.

Prime locked optics with the green Autobot. "Is that a dare, Hound?"

...

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I won't have access to a computer for a little while, so no updates for at least one week.**_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Hound took a step back. Horror crossed his face. The Autobot stared at Bumblebee, held by the evil Prime. If that mech hurt Bumblebee, Hound would never forgive himself. He would always wonder if Prime had done it because of what Hound had said.

"No," Hound answered. The mech shook his head. "No, it's not a dare." Fear laced his words.

Prime could see the horror on the Autobot's face. He relished it. He holstered his gun. With one arm wrapped around Bumblebee, Prime now had one free hand. He moved the hand slowly toward Bumblebee's open chamber.

"Would you like to hear how loud he would scream, Hound?" asked Prime.

"No," replied the green mech.

"He screamed loud enough for the entire base to hear him when I interfaced with him," said the evil mech. The words were spoken with a cruel pleasure. "I wonder how much louder he would be if I...just barely...brushed...his spark."

With every pause, Prime's hand crept closer to Bumblebee's spark. The yellow mini could feel the hand getting closer to his spark. He wanted to struggle, but he knew it would just make it worse. Bumblebee knew Prime wanted to hurt Hound by hurting him. Struggling would only provide more sick pleasure to the evil mech.

"Don't touch him!"

Prime's hand paused as he looked at the red mech who had yelled.

"Cliffjumper." Prime drew out the Autobot's name. "You're alive."

The mini Autobot refused to be intimidated by the evil Prime. "And ready to kick your tailgate."

"After Bumblebee died, I tortured you first," said Prime. His optics remained on Cliffjumper, though his fingers lightly brushed against Bumblebee's chest. Not touching his spark, but close. "So similar to my Bumblebee's body type. Your spark chamber opened the same way. Oh, how you screamed when I held your spark."

Hound put a hand on Cliffjumper. The green Autobot pushed the red mech back. Cliffjumper didn't want to move back. He didn't want to show how much those words disturbed him. Prime's optics drifted over all of the Autobots present. He noted the other minis he had killed. Minis he could kill again.

"Prime," said Megatron. The Decepticon leader realized it had to end here. If Prime escaped, he would eventually return. Bumblebee would never be safe and neither would any of the other minis in this world.

Prime turned his head and looked at the Decepticon leader.

"Let him go," said Megatron. "He doesn't belong in our world."

"You sound like a broken cassette," sneered Prime. "Speaking of which, how's Frenzy? Does he still jump when any bot touches him?"

"I'm offering one on one combat," replied Megatron. The Decepticon leader ignored the taunt.

"To the death?" asked Prime, as he shifted his body toward Megatron. It left his side vulnerable to the Autobots, but the mech figured they'd be too worried about Bumblebee to attack. Prime could grab the mini's spark before any of them reached him.

"Yes," replied the Decepticon leader.

As the two mechs spoke, Ratchet approached his leader. "Optimus, Bumblebee's spark chamber needs to be closed. The risk of damage to his spark increases the longer it's open." The Chief Medical Officer whispered the words, but he still caught the attention of the evil Prime.

"Share with the group, Ratchet," said Prime, as he shifted to look back at the Autobots. "What are you whispering about?"

The CMO closed his mouth. He refused to answer, as he feared his words would give the evil mech more ideas.

Prime casually moved his right hand and grabbed part of Bumblebee's chest. It was the first layer that Prime had opened earlier. "Hmm. Perhaps Bee is not the only bot in need of a lesson."

Prime pulled. Over the shriek of tearing metal, Bumblebee screamed.

"Stop!" shouted Ratchet, taking a step forward. "I'll tell you what I said!"

Prime released the metal. He hadn't completely torn it off, but the top part was pulled away from Bumblebee's body. It would need to be repaired before it could be closed.

"Go on," said Prime.

"I said Bumblebee's spark chamber needed to be closed," replied Ratchet. Anger threaded through his words. He knew what Prime would say next and he was correct.

"Why?"

"Contaminants." Ratchet spat out his answer.

Prime looked down at the desert sand. He kicked it around and looked back up at Ratchet. "You mean, like if some of this sand were to get into Bumblebee's spark..."

"Yes," replied the white mech, after a brief hesitation.

"Do you know how much damage one grain of sand can cause a spark?" asked Prime. The white Autobot kept his mouth closed. "Answer me, Ratchet." Prime put his hand back on the piece of Bumblebee's chest that he had partially torn. "Because I will rip this off."

"I don't know, but I could make an educated guess," replied the medic. Ratchet wished he had never said anything. Not because he couldn't take Prime's attention, but because he feared how the evil mech would use the knowledge to further hurt Bumblebee.

"Oh, I don't need you to share your _educated guess_," replied Prime. He sneered that last two words. Prime shifted his attention until he found Brawn. "You didn't like it when I killed Windcharger. You challenged me and lost. One grain of sand in your spark was your punishment. You offlined yourself at the end of one Earth week. You couldn't take it."

Brawn didn't know what bothered him more. How the evil Prime had casually mentioned that he killed the Windcharger of his world or that he was so cruel as to purposely put a grain of sand in a mech's spark.

"You should never have been sparked," said Brawn.

"You said the same thing to me when you challenged me," sneered Prime. The cruel amusement had returned.

"Prime," said Megatron.

The evil Autobot turned and looked at the Decepticon. "Yes?"

"My challenge," replied Megatron. "One on one combat. To the death."

"And how do I know that the moment I put him down," said Prime, as he tightened his hold on Bumblebee, "I won't be shot."

"None of my Autobots will interfere," said Optimus, for the first time speaking to his evil counterpart.

The evil red optics stared at the leader of the Autobots. "Your _word_?"

"I give you my word that none of my Autobots will interfere with your one one one combat with Megatron," replied Optimus.

Prime kept his optics on Optimus a moment longer before he shifted his attention to the Decepticon leader. "Then I accept your challenge."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

At Optimus' command, all the Autobots holstered their weapons. They didn't like it, but Prime had said he wouldn't release Bumblebee until all weapons had been put away. Every bot was on edge. If the evil Prime was anything like the Decepticons that they were used to, just because the Autobot had followed through on what they had promised, it didn't mean that Prime would follow through with what he had promised.

"Their weapons are put away," said Megatron. "Now release Bumblebee."

The arm tightened around Bumblebee. The mini worried that Prime would try to run with him. The yellow mech wasn't the only bot who feared it.

"Or will you concede the combat to me?" added Megatron. The Decepticon hoped that the comment would bother Prime enough to force him into letting the mini go.

With one arm wrapped around Bumblebee, Prime used his other arm to reach across Bumblebee's body. He grabbed the yellow mech's arm. As he removed the arm wrapped around Bumblebee, he threw the smell mech into the mountain side.

"Bumblebee!" Multiple Autobots cried out.

A few Autobots stepped forward, but Optimus put his hand out. They stopped, but the Autobot leader could see that most of the Autobots didn't like it. Optimus wanted to go to the small mech, but he didn't want to give Prime any opportunities to claim that the Autobots had interfered with his combat. Prime was still close enough that he could grab Bumblebee again before any mech could stop him.

The yellow mini shifted on the ground. He wanted to get to his comrades, but he needed to cover his spark first. Ratchet was correct. The longer his spark was vulnerable, the higher the chance that something would happen to it. Bumblebee reached up and closed the layer closest to his spark. Finally, the light from his spark no longer light up the area. Bumblebee didn't even attempt to close the outer layer. He knew Prime had done enough damage that it wouldn't close until Ratchet repaired it.

Bumblebee looked up from closing his chest and covering his spark. Prime was watching him. His red optics were fixed on the yellow mech. The mini stopped moving. As much as Bumblebee wanted to rush to the Autobots, he feared that Prime would move to block him if he attempted it while the larger mech was watching him.

"Prime," said Megatron, hoping to draw the mech's attention away from Bumblebee.

Prime turned to face Megatron. With the larger mech's back to Bumblebee, the yellow mini got up from the ground. He edged past the evil mech, but stopped when Prime shifted to look at him.

"Mine," he whispered.

Bumblebee shook his head and took another step. He stopped when Prime turned toward him.

"Prime," repeated Megatron, louder this time, when he realized that the mech was distracted by Bumblebee. "Face me."

The evil Autobot turned his attention from the mini and looked at Megatron. With the larger mech focused elsewhere, Bumblebee started to walk back to his fellow Autobots. He didn't like leaving his back vulnerable to Prime. The small mech wasn't even half way to the Autobots when he realized something was wrong. The Autobots were going for their weapons.

"Bumblebee! Get down!" Ironhide yelled.

Rather than drop down, Bumblebee started to turn to see what was happening. But before he could complete the turn, a larger mech tackled him to the ground. He heard a shot explode from behind. Bumblebee yelled, as he hit the ground. The force that had driven him to the ground had further damaged the piece of his chest that Prime had torn when he hit the ground.

Bumblebee was pinned by the larger mech. He heard a groan, coming from the mech on top of him, but the return shots were louder. It sounded like the entire Autobot team was firing at the same time.

"Bumblebee," whispered Megatron. It was the Decepticon leader who had pushed Bumblebee to the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you more pain."

"Bumblebee! Bumblebee," said Ironhide. The older mech carefully rolled Megatron off of the yellow mini.

When Ironhide saw that further damage had been done to the outer lay of Bumblebee's chest, he turned. "Ratchet!"

Ironhide rolled Bumblebee onto his back, to take the pressure off of the damage. The Chief Medical Officer ran over and knelt next to Bumblebee. Ironhide moved away from the yellow mini to give Ratchet room to work.

"Bee," said Ratchet, after he quickly examined the mech, "I know it hurts, but I will have it fixed in no time."

"What about Megatron?" asked the yellow mech.

Ratchet glanced over. It was then that Bumblebee actually looked around. Prime was down. If Bumblebee had to guess, the evil mech had been taken down by the Autobots when they opened fire. His optics drifted over to Megatron and he saw the huge hole in the larger mech's chest.

"No," said Bumblebee.

"I thought the challenge would distract him," said Megatron. His voice was weak. "But when he saw you walking away, he grabbed his weapon. I couldn't let him shoot you in the back."

"Stop talking," said Bumblebee, as the yellow mini slid closer to the larger mech. Bumblebee looked at Ratchet. "Do something!"

"Bumblebee," said Ratchet. He looked sadly down at the yellow mech. "There's nothing I can do."

"But he...he saved me, Ratchet," said Bumblebee.

"I know, Bee," replied the white mech.

The fallen Decepticon was surrounded by Autobots. Bumblebee was still on the ground, but other Autobots stood by. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker made their way over to Prime to confirm that the evil mech was dead. Optimus knelt on the ground, near Bumblebee and Megatron.

"Bumblebee." Megatron's voice was getting weaker. "It is enough to know that you're safe."

"But what will the Decepticons do without you?" asked Bumblebee.

"I've trained Starscream well," replied Megatron. Only Optimus, Ratchet, and Bumblebee heard his words. His voice was barely a whisper. "Skywarp is aware I followed Prime here and he will tell Starscream."

The blue optics of Megatron flickered. "I am content to end here, knowing Prime's evil reign is at an end." Hie eyes flickered once more before they went completely dark. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons and ally to the humans of Earth, was dead.

…...

The Autobots provided Megatron with a proper Cybertronian funeral. Bumblebee was the only bot who spoke, as none of other Autobots knew him. He shared how Soundwave had rescued him on Megatron's orders. He mentioned how Starscream figured out how to send Bumblebee home, because Megatron wanted to get the mini back to his friends. And, in the end, when Megatron saw that Prime wouldn't let Bumblebee go, the Decepticon leader threw himself between the little mech and the killing shot.

The yellow mech didn't speak about what he had gone through in the Autobot base in the other world. When he finally went to report to Optimus, his leader told him it wasn't necessary, unless it would help in the mini's healing process.

Optimus assured Bumblebee that the space bridge had been destroyed by Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker. It was assumed that Prime and Megatron had gotten through after the Autobots had left the battlefield but before the team sent to destroy the bridge had arrived.

As to the body of Prime, the twins melted it down. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker later told Bumblebee that they wanted to make sure that evil mech would never be able to return. The yellow mini thanked them.

When the next battle arrived between the Autobots and Decepticons, Optimus sidelined Bumblebee. He ordered the yellow mech to stay at the base. When the Autobots returned, Bumblebee approached his leader.

"Optimus?" said Bumblebee. The Autobot leader was at Teletraan 1. The larger mech shifted his attention and looked down at the yellow mech.

"Yes, Bumblebee?"

"Are you going to...ban me from all battles?" asked the yellow mini.

"No," replied the Autobot leader. "I wanted to give you more time, just in case."

"In case I'm confused and try to run off with the Decepticons?" asked Bumblebee. The yellow mech added a little humor.

Optimus knelt in front of the yellow mini. Bumblebee could see his attempt at humor had failed.

"In case you needed more time to heal from what you went through," replied Optimus.

"It's getting easier, Big Bot," replied Bumblebee. The mini looked down, not meeting Optimus' gaze.

"I'm glad to hear that," replied the Autobot leader.

"But, I think I am ready to return to active duty," replied the yellow mech. Bumblebee looked up and met the blue optics of his leader.

Optimus nodded his head and stood up. "In that case, go see Prowl for a duty assignment."

"Ah, Optimus," replied the little mech as he turned away. "Prowl is probably going to give me something lame."

Optimus didn't reply as he watched Bumblebee walk away.

THE END

...

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope everyone enjoyed the story. Please, don't forget to write a review and let me know what you think. **_


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